Hedge showing signs of stress
What's the powdery coating on my laurel?
Your plant is not a laurel but Euonymus japonicus. It’s an evergreen often used as a short to mid-height hedge, especially in coastal districts and in towns. Although it makes a good dense evergreen hedge it is rather prone to scale insect and powdery mildew, as shown here. Powdery mildew is worse when the soil is dry and when the plant is weak through lack of nutrients. You could spray the hedge with a fungicide such as FungusClear Ultra (£5.99 for 1L spray), which will protect new
growth. It’s also well worth watering and feeding the plant with Growmore to promote healthier growth in future.