Cherry Laurel

Cherry Laurel (Prunus laurocerasus) is a hardwood cut from the common or English laurel, a large broadleaf evergreen shrub or small tree native to southeast Europe and Asia Minor. Despite the 'laurel' name it is not a true laurel (Laurus) but a member of the cherry and plum genus Prunus, and its timber behaves much like a small-dimension cherry.

The plant is far better known as an ornamental and hedging shrub than as a timber species — it is one of the most widely planted evergreen screening plants in Europe. Because it rarely forms a large clear trunk, its wood is a minor, opportunistic material harvested from hedge prunings, stems, and the occasional tree-form specimen. The sample here shows the wood's typical character: a fine, even grain with clearly visible annual rings and a light tan to pale brown color.

The wood is pale overall, running from a light tan to a pale pinkish or greyish brown, with only a modest contrast between the narrow sapwood and the slightly warmer heartwood. As a member of Prunus it is diffuse-porous, so the grain is fine and even with small, uniformly distributed pores and a smooth, close texture. Concentric annual rings are clearly visible on the sample, and the surface takes a gentle satiny luster when planed and polished. Figure is usually plain; because the stems are small and often multi-branched, boards can carry knots, curved grain, and pith.

Density is moderate, broadly comparable to other cherries — an estimated Janka hardness in the roughly 950–1,050 lbf range places it in the medium band, hard enough to finish crisply but not a heavy-wear flooring wood. Natural durability is low to moderate: like most Prunus woods it is not rot-resistant and is unsuitable for ground contact or exterior use without protection. The small sizes and tendency to check on drying further limit it to indoor and small work.

Cherry Laurel is a specialty and craft wood rather than a commercial timber. Its small, clear pieces are best suited to turning, carving, small boxes, handles, inlay, and decorative treen, where the fine even texture and pale color are assets.

Where larger stems can be found it may serve for small furniture parts, cabinet accents, and marquetry, and its clean grain makes it a pleasant wood for whittling and detail work. It is not used for flooring, structural work, or large casework simply because timber of usable size is scarce. Occasional use as a decorative fuel or for smoking is complicated by the plant's toxic foliage (see cautions).

Like other cherries the wood works well with both hand and machine tools: it cuts, turns, and carves cleanly, planes to a smooth satiny surface, and sands easily thanks to its fine even grain. Knots, curved grain around branch unions, and reaction wood in small stems can cause tear-out, so sharp tooling and light cuts help. It glues and finishes readily and polishes to an attractive sheen. Being prone to checking and distortion, it should be dried slowly and in small, sealed billets.

Important caution: Prunus laurocerasus is a notably toxic plant. Its leaves, bark, seeds, and green tissue contain cyanogenic glycosides (such as prunasin and amygdalin) that release hydrogen cyanide when crushed or macerated — crushed foliage gives off a distinct almond/marzipan smell. While seasoned, dry timber is far less hazardous than the green plant, sawdust from Prunus woods can irritate the skin, eyes, and respiratory tract, and the genus is associated with sensitization in some workers. Never burn the green wood or foliage in enclosed spaces, avoid inhaling the dust, and keep offcuts and prunings away from animals and children. Use dust collection and a respirator when machining.

There is essentially no commercial market for Cherry Laurel timber. It is not sold as dimensioned lumber; usable pieces come almost entirely from garden prunings, hedge removals, and arborist offcuts, so availability is opportunistic and local rather than through the lumber trade. When it does turn up it is effectively free or very cheap, valued only for small craft and turning stock.

The species is extremely common and widely planted throughout Europe — in many areas it is considered invasive — so there are no sustainability concerns. It carries no CITES listing and no endangered-species restrictions; if anything it is over-abundant, and using hedge and clearance wood is an environmentally sound way to make use of otherwise discarded material.