Light Needs
Mature Height
Mature Spread
Growing Zones
Bay Laurel is a kitchen herb that also behaves like a well-mannered evergreen screen, with dense, dark green leaves you can snip year-round. Left unpruned it can mature into a 6–15 ft. tall, 12–15 ft. wide shrub or small tree, but it’s just as happy kept tighter with regular trimming. Laurus nobilis is the true culinary bay, and the leaves dry beautifully for soups, stews, beans, and braises without needing a big harvest to stock the pantry. It is the perfect edible evergreen for shaping into a hedge or topiary.
Bay Laurel Care
Plant in spring in zones 8–11, or grow in a container and move it indoors when cold weather threatens. Give it full sun to partial shade and a fertile, well-drained soil with a pH roughly in the 6–7 range. Avoid sites that stay soggy since standing moisture leads to root issues. Prune in late winter to early spring to control size and shape. Make light touch-ups after the main flush of growth to improve structure and airflow.
Growing Bay Laurel
Bay Laurel is slow-growing, making it easy to keep as a shrub, hedge, or patio specimen. It flowers in spring with small yellow-green blooms that form dark berries only on female plants if a male is nearby. Start growing in containers if you’re outside zone 8, and treat it like a patio plant that summers outdoors and winters in a bright window.
Growing Bay Laurel in Containers
Use a wide, stable pot (often 18–24 inches across once it’s established) with a fast-draining mix, and don’t oversize the container since bay prefers to be slightly snug. Repot about every 4–5 years, refreshing the mix and trimming a little root mass if it’s crowded. In containers, bay laurel serves a a thriller and pairs well with rosemary and thyme for a cooking-friendly pot.
Watering Bay Laurel
Water deeply, and let the top few inches of soil dry before watering again, especially in containers where overwatering can dull the foliage. Bay Laurel can drop its leaves when adjusting to new light or humidity conditions after being moved indoors, so keep it in a bright spot and avoid letting the root ball dry hard.
Feeding Bay Laurel
Feed container plants in spring with a balanced organic fertilizer like fish emulsion or kelp, and follow with light feeding during the growing season if growth looks pale or stalled. In the ground, Bay Laurel rarely needs feeding once established, but a spring top-dress of compost helps keep leaves lush for harvesting.
Bay Laurel Plant Facts
Growing Conditions
- Hardiness ZonesGrowing Zones
- USDA Zones 4-11 patio / 8-11 outdoors (perennial); grown as an annual elsewhere (outdoors year-round); grown indoors elsewhere (outdoors year-round); grown in containers elsewhere (grown as a seasonal crop)
- Sun Exposure
- Part Sun to Full Sun (5+ Hours Direct Sun)
- Mature Height
- 10-15 Feet
- Mature Spread
- 8-10 Feet
- Growth Rate
- Slow
- Growth Habit
- , Upright
- Water Needs
- Average
Flowers & Foliage
- Flower Colors
- , Green, Yellow
- Bloom Time
- Spring
- Blooms On
-
Old Wood
?
"Blooms on" tells you which stems produce flowers, which decides when it's safe to prune.
- New Wood: Flowers form on stems that grow this season. Prune in late winter or early spring without losing blooms.
- Old Wood: Flower buds form on last year's stems. Prune right after flowering. Pruning in fall or early spring removes next year's blooms.
- Both New and Old Wood: Blooms on last year's stems and again on new growth, so it flowers even after a hard winter or a mistimed pruning. Prune lightly after the first flush of blooms.
- When to Prune
- Right after flowering
- Foliage Color
- , Green
- Foliage Description
- Glossy Dark Emerald Green
- Foliage Type
- , Evergreen
- Seasonal Interest
- , 4 Season Interest
Garden Benefits
Plant Overview
- Common Name
- Bay Laurel
Simple Plant Spacing Calculator
Please Note: The pictures below are to give a general representation of the different container sizes. The actual size/ages of plants are estimates and will vary based on type of plant, time of year, last pruning & many other factors.
Also Known As:
Quart
Plant Age:
~ 6 months - 1 year
Plant Size:
~ 4"-8"
Pot Size:
~ 4.75"H x 4.5"W
Volume:
1.50 quarts
Also Known As:
2.5 Quart Pot
Plant Age:
~ 1 - 2 years old
Plant Size:
~ 8"-12"
Pot Size:
~ 6.5"H x 6.5"W
Volume:
2.20-2.30 quarts
Also Known As:
#1 Container
1 Gallon
Plant Age:
~ 1 - 2 years old
Plant Size:
~ 10"-14"
Pot Size:
~ 7"H x 7.75"W
Volume:
2.26-3.73 quarts
Also Known As:
#2 Container
2 Gallon
Plant Age:
~ 1.5 - 3 years old
Plant Size:
~ 12"-18"
Pot Size:
~ 9.5"H x 9.5"W
Volume:
1.19-1.76 gallons
Also Known As:
#3 Container
3 Gallon
Plant Age:
~ 2 - 4 years old
Plant Size:
~ 12"-30"
Pot Size:
~9.5"H x 11"W
Volume:
2.32-2.76 gallons
Also Known As:
#5 Container
5 Gallon
Plant Age:
~3-4 years old
Plant Size:
~ 20" - 60"
Pot Size:
~11" H x 10 1/2” W
Volume:
3.5 - 4 gallons
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