The cherry laurel can be found as a hedge in many German front gardens. It is now banned in Switzerland – for an important reason.
From September 1st, cherry laurel, also known as bay cherry, will be banned in Switzerland. The plant can also be found in many German front gardens and is very popular because of its evergreen leaves and opaque hedge.
The reason for the ban is environmental protection. Because the cherry laurel belongs to the group of invasive neophytes. According to Nabu, they hardly offer any benefit to native animals and can displace the native flora, as the Munich newspaper “Merkur” reports.
Cherry laurel is an invasive species
In addition to the cherry laurel, other invasive plants such as the butterfly bush and the bluebell tree are also affected by this ban. According to the Swiss Federal Council, the sale, giving away and import of certain invasive plants will be banned. The ban should mean that non-native plants are generally no longer allowed to be used in the environment. It is primarily directed against the sale and propagation of these plants.
However, according to “Merkur”, plants that already grow in Swiss gardens are not affected by the ban. The Federal Council's goal is to prevent the import and proliferation of further invasive species into Switzerland.
No ban in this country yet
In Germany there is also a list of numerous plant species for which there are EU-wide ownership and marketing bans. However, the cherry laurel, butterfly bush and bluebell tree are not currently on this list.
Although they are classified as potentially invasive by the Federal Agency for Nature Conservation, this does not currently mean that there is a ban on ownership or marketing. According to the Federal Agency for Nature Conservation, if these plants appear in the wild, it must be checked whether other native species could be endangered as a result.
