Cherry Laurel Ban Since September 2024: Statutory Rules & Permitted Hedge Species in Switzerland

1. The Law: Revision of the Release Ordinance (RO, SR 814.911)

By decision of March 1, 2024, the Swiss Federal Council tightened the federal Release Ordinance (RO). Effective September 1, 2024, bringing to market — meaning the sale, giving away, private distribution, and importation — of specified non-native invasive plant species is strictly prohibited to protect domestic biodiversity, forest rejuvenation, and public health.

Prominent banned species in Annex 2.2 RO include cherry laurel (Prunus laurocerasus), butterfly bush (Buddleja davidii), and staghorn sumac (Rhus typhina). Anyone importing these plants across the border from southern German or French garden centers commits an offense under Swiss customs and environmental protection law.

• Scope of Application: Entire territory of Switzerland for businesses, nurseries, and private individuals.
• Affected Species: Cherry laurel, butterfly bush, tree of heaven, staghorn sumac, silky dogwood, and others (Annex 2.2 RO).
• Legal Sanctions: Intentional or negligent distribution is penalized under Art. 61 para. 1 of the Environmental Protection Act (EPA) with fines up to CHF 20,000.

2. Obligations for Existing Cherry Laurel Hedges: Preventing Fruit Ripening

Even though existing hedges do not require mandatory eradication, cantonal environmental regulations (e.g. Zurich AWEL) impose a strict duty of containment. Cherry laurel produces dark drupe berries that birds consume and disperse across Swiss woodlands for kilometers, where the neophyte blankets the understory and chokes out young beech saplings.

To avert administrative fine notices or removal orders from municipal or cantonal environmental offices, property owners and building managers should enforce the following maintenance protocol:

• Pruning Before Fruit Matures: Rigorously trim faded flower clusters in June/July before black berries develop.
• Compliant Green Waste Disposal: Plant clippings of invasive neophytes must never be dumped onto open neighborhood compost heaps or near woodlands. They must be routed through official municipal green waste collection with industrial hot composting or dispatched directly to waste incineration facilities (KVA).
• Root Destruction on Removal: When removing a cherry laurel hedge, root stumps must be completely excavated or ground down, as leftover root fragments will generate shoots for years.

3. Best Permitted Hedge Species: Native, Dense & Resilient

Property owners replacing an old hedge or landscaping a new build need not compromise on privacy screening or ease of care. Native Swiss shrubs provide excellent ecological value, thrive in local soil conditions, and tolerate regular pruning far better than cherry laurel:

• 1. European Yew (Taxus baccata): The classic hedge for dense privacy. Evergreen, exceptionally shade-tolerant, and resilient to heavy shearing. Requires pruning only once in late summer. Note: needles and seeds are toxic to horses and pets.
• 2. Common Privet (Ligustrum vulgare): Semi-evergreen (retains leaves in mild Zurich winters), robust in windy spots, produces fragrant white blossoms for bees in spring and berries for birds in autumn.
• 3. European Hornbeam (Carpinus betulus): Deciduous, yet holds dry brown foliage on branches until new spring growth in April, offering reliable winter screening.
• 4. Cornelian Cherry (Cornus mas): Blooms with vibrant yellow flowers in early spring (February/March) and produces edible, vitamin-rich red fruit.
• 5. Snowy Mespilus / Juneberry (Amelanchier ovalis): Native species featuring glorious white flower clouds in April, copper-gold autumn color, and edible berries.

4. What Property Managers and Tenants Need to Know

For real estate managers across the Greater Zurich area, the cherry laurel ban presents liability exposure during renovations and tenant turnovers. If a landscaping subcontractor or tenant unlawfully plants invasive neophytes on the grounds, municipalities can order compulsory replacement planting at the owner's expense.

Mondar assists property management companies and private owners with the coordination of outdoor maintenance and compliant green waste disposal during clearances and estate turnovers.