Bay laurel

Sun

Full sun to partial shade; shelter from cold, drying winds.

Water

Water regularly while establishing. Established trees tolerate dry spells, but containers need watering whenever the surface compost starts to dry.

Soil

Well-drained soil, from slightly acidic to alkaline; avoid waterlogged ground. Use a free-draining potting mix in containers.

Height

20-40 ft (6-12 m) unpruned; readily kept smaller

Spread

15-30 ft (4.5-9 m) unpruned

Flowers

Small, pale yellow flowers in spring; female plants may produce black berries if a male plant is nearby.

Foliage

Evergreen. Leathery, dark green, aromatic leaves with slightly wavy edges.

Growth

Slow to moderate

Care needed

Medium

• Water deeply during dry spells for the first two growing seasons; do not leave container plants standing in water.
• Apply a balanced slow-release fertilizer to container plants in spring, following the label rate; established trees in fertile ground rarely need feeding.
• Mulch the root area in spring, keeping mulch clear of the trunk.
• Repot container plants in spring when roots become crowded, using a slightly larger pot with drainage holes.
• In cold regions, move pots to a bright, cool, frost-free shelter for winter; water sparingly but do not let the root ball dry out completely.

Pruning. Clip hedges and topiary in late spring or summer, using secateurs for a neat finish without cutting across leaves. Remove frost-damaged growth in spring once new shoots show which wood is alive.

Early spring

Check for winter damage; wait for new growth before cutting back apparently dead branches.

Spring

Repot crowded container plants, feed them and refresh mulch around trees in the ground.

Late spring

Shape hedges and topiary after the main risk of frost has passed.

Summer

Check container moisture frequently and inspect young leaves for curled edges caused by bay suckers.

Late summer

Take semi-ripe cuttings from healthy, non-flowering shoots.

Autumn

Move containers into winter shelter where prolonged frost is expected.

Winter

Keep sheltered pots slightly moist and check for scale insects.

• Use matched standard trees in pots to frame a doorway or path.
• Clip into an evergreen hedge to enclose a sheltered kitchen garden.
• Plant cones or rounded topiary among lavender and rosemary for year-round structure.
• Grow as a small specimen tree in a sheltered courtyard, allowing space for its eventual canopy.

Garden styles it suits: Mediterranean, Formal, Topiary garden, Potager (kitchen garden), Modern courtyard and Herb parterre.

Plant it with: Rosemary, Lavender, Common sage, Thyme, Olive and Santolina.

Wildlife: Spring flowers provide food for visiting insects, and birds may eat the berries. Dense foliage offers shelter and potential nesting cover.

• Bay sucker: young leaf edges thicken, curl and turn yellow. Remove badly affected shoots and encourage natural predators; light infestations rarely threaten established plants.
• Scale insects: inspect stems and leaf undersides for attached bumps and sticky honeydew. Wipe off small infestations or use a horticultural oil labelled for edible plants.
• Waterlogging and root rot: yellowing leaves and dieback can follow persistently wet soil. Improve drainage, empty saucers and repot affected container plants into fresh, free-draining mix.
• Frost and winter wind damage: leaves brown and shoots die back. Provide shelter, protect container roots and prune damaged wood after growth resumes.

Leaves and essential oils are toxic to cats, dogs and horses if eaten and can cause digestive upset; large amounts may cause more serious problems. For people, the leaves are not known to be toxic in normal culinary use, but remove whole leaves before serving because they remain stiff and can cause choking or injury if swallowed. Do not ingest concentrated essential oil.

Where it spreads. Can escape cultivation and spread into woodland in coastal California, including the San Francisco Bay Area; remove unwanted seedlings near natural areas.

• Cherry laurel (Prunus laurocerasus)

  Usually has broader leaves with finely toothed edges and upright spikes of white flowers. Its leaves are poisonous and must not be substituted for culinary bay.

• Portuguese laurel (Prunus lusitanica)

  Has finely toothed leaves, often reddish leaf stalks and young stems, and long clusters of white flowers. It is not a culinary bay.

• California bay (Umbellularia californica)

  Usually has narrower, more pointed leaves with a much stronger, pungent smell when crushed. Its fruits are larger and olive-like rather than small black bay berries.

Laurus is the Latin name for laurel, and nobilis means noble or distinguished, reflecting the plant's association with victory and honour.

Propagation. Take semi-ripe cuttings in late summer; rooting can be slow. Sow fresh seed after removing the fleshy fruit, allowing several months for germination, or detach rooted suckers in spring.

Accepted botanical name

Laurus nobilis

In the US and Canada

Introduced in the lower 48 states.

Native range

Albania, Algeria, Corse, Cyprus, East Aegean Is., France, Greece, Italy, Kriti, Lebanon-Syria, Libya and Morocco.

Measured

Soil pH 5.5 to 6.5. Average height 1025 cm.

Sources: GBIF (CC BY 4.0), USDA PLANTS and Trefle (CC BY 4.0). The care and design notes are LandscapeGPT's own.