Bay Laurel

Laurus nobilis

Other Names: Sweet Bay

Plant Details

USDA Plant Hardiness Zones: 8a-11 Find Your Zone

Plant Type: Evergreen Shrub or Tree

Height at Maturity: 6 to 30′ depending on pruning

Width at Maturity: 5 to 20′ depending on pruning

Spacing: 5-10′ for hedges or privacy screens; 20’+ for space between plants

Growth Habit / Form: Upright, Dense, Pyramidal

Growth Rate: Moderate

Flower Color: Yellow-Green

Flower Size: Small

Flowering Period: March to May

Flower Type:

Fragrant Flowers: No

Foliage Color: Dark Green

Fragrant Foliage: Yes, aromatic

Berries: Only on female plants if pollinated

Berry Color: Purple-black

Sun Needs: Full Sun or Mostly Sun, Morning Sun with Dappled or Afternoon Shade, Morning Shade with Evening Sun

Water Needs: Average

Soil Type: Clay (Amended), Loam, Sandy, Silty

Soil Moisture / Drainage: Well Drained Moist

Soil pH: 5.5 – 8 (Acid or Alkaline)

Maintenance / Care: Low to Average depending on whether you prune it to control size

Attracts: Visual Attention, Birds

Resistances: Deer, Disease, Heat, Humidity, Insect, Mildew

Description

Most known for its flavorful and aromatic leaves that are used to add earthy flavor to stews, soups and sauces and for potpourri, the Bay Laurel, also known as Sweet Bay, is an exceptionally versatile ornamental evergreen tree from the Mediterranean. It can be grown outdoors in USDA Zones 8a-11 or indoors as a year round house plant! Though it can slowly grow to 30 feet tall or more in height (when growing outdoors in the ground) and up to 20 feet wide, it responds very well to pruning so can easily be maintained at a height of 5 feet tall and 3 feet wide or so. Plants growing indoors or outdoors in pots can be kept even smaller.

The thick and leathery shiny dark green leaves are densely packed on the branches which make the Bay Laurel a perfect choice as an aromatic screen plant outdoors. Small yellowish flowers appear March to May and stand out quite well against the dark leaves. As your Bay Tree grows taller lower branches can be removed to form a highly attractive evergreen tree. Because it responds so well to pruning it’s a fine candidate for various topiary shapes including cones, columns, pompom, poodle tier and standards.

Landscape & Garden Uses

Growing 5 to 30 feet in height and 6 to 8 feet wide (depending on pruning), the Bay Laurel can be grown outdoors as a specimen, in groupings or as a privacy screen outdoors or can be grown year round as an indoor houseplant.

Suggested Spacing: 5 to 10 feet apart for solid privacy screens and hedges; 20 feet or more apart for space between plants

Note: For our customers who live and garden north of USDA Plant Hardiness Zone 8a, where Bay Laurel is not reliably winter hardy, you’ll be happy to know it can be grown in containers that can be brought indoors during winter and placed back outside when temperatures warm up in spring.

Growing Preferences

The Bay Laurel is exceptionally easy to grow in most any moist but well-drained soil of average fertility and full sun to part shade. It grows in a very wide range of soil pH. Four hours or more of direct sunlight per day is suggested for best leaf flavor. Minimal if an maintenance when left to grow natural. Occasional pruning will be necessary to control size.

Helpful Articles

Outdoors:

Plant as you would a Holly Tree

Prune as you would a Holly Tree

Indoors:

Plant in a pot at least 12 inches in rim diameter (larger is better for long term). Use potting mix or quality potting soil to fill the pot within 1 inch of the top. Lining the bottom of the pot with a landscape fabric is suggested to keep the drainage hole from becoming stopped up by roots. Keep pot situated near a sunny window and away from heating and air vents.

Harvesting Leaves

You can pick leaves anytime. Leaves that dry and fall off the tree are still fragrant and usable as well. Annual pruning for size control or shaping purposes is usually done in late winter to early spring. You can prune as much or as little as you like.

Plant Long & Prosper!

Meet The Wilson Brothers & Staff

Questions? Contact Us

The plant arrived in excellent condition. No broken limbs or any loose leaves. Superb packaging! I really appreciate the time and effort that you spent packaging the plant. The plant was also as described in the description with new leaves growing. You can tell this company cares about their plants! I will not hesitate to order from here again or to recommend them to friends. Thank you so much!! Oh, very impressed with the amount of detail in your “about us” section. I don’t think I’ve ever felt like I knew folks without having met them. Thank you for the transparency!! It’s really appreciated!!——————————————-You are very welcome! Thanks for the kind words and wonderful review! We are so glad you are pleased and we hope you enjoy it for years to come! 🙂 Beth Steele | WBG

Tree arrived in a very secure packing method and not one bit of dirt out of the pot or a leaf broken/fallen. It was a very healthy specimen from the start and has grown an inch since I received it (less than a month ago). Definitely will keep Wilson Brothers on my list of companies to rely on.——————————————————Thanks for the kind words and wonderful review! We are so glad you are pleased and we hope you enjoy it for years to come! 🙂 Beth Steele | WBG

Tree arrived in great condition, still moist soil and no wilting at all, very happy with this purchase.————————————————-Thanks for the awesome review! We are so glad you are pleased and we hope you enjoy it for years to come! 🙂 Beth Steele | WBG

I AM IMPRESSED!!! So much that I am willing to wright a review, which I have never done.
I ordered this plant Fri. 3/31, it was delivered 1000miles away on Wed, 4/5. even with the weekend. It was packaged very well, secure and in great order on arrival. The laurel looks very healthy and strong, around 22in. tall from the top of the pot. It has many leaves and they have a nice deep color and tight on the branches. Definitely a healthy plant! The website is easy to navigate and has instructions on how to care for the laurel. Now it’s up to me.
Thank you Bros and Team for your excellent work, something many others could learn from. Ya’ll have gained my confidence with only one purchase, and now are competition for my local nursery only 1/2 mile away.
May God bless you all!————————————–Wow! Thanks for the kind words and wonderful review! We are so glad you are pleased and we hope you enjoy it for years to come! 🙂 Beth Steele | WBG

The plant came well packaged and was in great shape when it arrived. A month later and it’s healthy and vibrant. I could not be more pleased with this purchase and look forward to making more purchases in the future.————————————————–Thanks for the kind words and wonderful review! We are so glad you are pleased and we hope you enjoy it for years to come! 🙂 Beth Steele | WBG

So pleased with the size, healthy dark green foliage and well developed root system of my Bay Laurel. I am equally pleased with the packing arrangement–I do not think it could have been packed it better. Keep up the good work!—————————————————–We are so glad you are pleased and we hope you enjoy it for years to come! Thanks for the kind words and great review! 🙂 Beth Steele | WBG