With large glossy dark green evergreen leaves the cherry laurel is a useful plant which grows in sun or shade in fact this very tolerant shrub is easy to grow in almost any situation33 it is often grown as a hedge or as natural screening or to cover large areas of ground prunus laurocerasus 39caucasica39 is a particularly vigorous variety and can be grown as a large specimen plant either retaining its natural form or pruned to a more formal shape fragrant upright flower spikes app