For a Serious Chef Advantage, Grow a Bay Leaf Plant

Bay leaf—or bay laurel as it’s also known—is an evergreen shrub that is often used as a culinary herb. You've probably added a bay leaf or two to season dishes such as casseroles or soups and stews, but the subtly savory herb is a staple flavor in our Bay, Beer and Orange Gravy, as well as our Summer Fish Chowder.

But bay laurel also is great as a hedge or as part of your herb garden. You can even grow it in containers on your deck or patio.

Native to the Mediterranean, bay leaf plant grows outdoors in USDA Hardiness Zones 8 and warmer. (Find your zone here.)

In cold climates, you can keep it in a container and bring it in for the winter. “This plant is easy to grow, even in pots,” says Byron Martin, co-owner of Logee’s Plants for Home and Garden and co-author of Edible Houseplants. “They can live for decades.”

With leathery evergreen leaves, bay leaf tree can be shaped into a or topiary or it can be allowed to grow into a shrubbier shape. Because it’s also a slow grower, you can easily maintain its size and form by pruning so that it doesn’t become too large to bring indoors, says Martin.

Common Name: Bay laurel, bay leaf, sweet bay
Botanical Name: Laurus nobilis
Plant Family: Lauraceae
Type of Plant: Evergreen shrub, USDA zones 8 to 10; houseplant
Native Origin: Mediterranean
Sun Exposure: Full sun to part shade
Mature Size: 30 feet tall in landscape; 4 to 8 feet tall when potted
Toxic to pets: Yes

How to Plant a Bay Leaf Tree

Whether planting in ground or in a pot, give your bay leaf tree full sun, which is considered 6 or more hours of direct sunlight. But it’s forgiving and tolerates afternoon shade, says Martin. You even can place it under large trees, as long as it’s getting ample light and some direct sunlight during the day.

Bay leaf trees do fine in most soil types. Make sure it’s a spot with well-draining soil. Although they’re slow growers, they can become quite large, so ensure there’s plenty of room for it to grow.

Plant it as you would any other evergreen shrub, making the hole about twice the size of the pot and setting in in place at the same depth as it was in the pot. Backfill the soil, tamp down, and water well.

Keep it watered as it gets established the first year. After that, the bay leaf is drought tolerant

Fertilizer

You can feed your bay laurel tree once in the spring with any balanced water soluble fertilizer.

Common Problems with Bay Leaf Trees

Bay leaf trees have few issues, most notably scale. If you see brown, flat oval-ish bumps on the stems and leaves, use a horticultural oil to treat the infestation. Mealybugs, which look like white waxy oval bugs, are another common problem, but they are easy to spot against the dark, leathery leaves. Use a cotton swab dipped in alcohol to remove each bug.

Bay leaf trees do very well in pots, and this is the best way to grow them if you live in a cold climate or in a place that gets an occasional freeze so you can shuttle it indoors, says Martin.

Use any good potting mix, and make sure the container has a hole in the bottom for drainage. Care is the same as it would be for landscape plantings, meaning full to part sun, and let the plant dry out a little before watering again. (Here are the potting soils we reccomend, and what to look for.)

You don’t need to prune this plant regularly, only to shape it, says Martin. You can snip off a leaf or two as soon as your plant is big enough to handle losing a few leaves, but never take more than a third of a plant. Of course, most recipes require just a leaf or two, so you can enjoy using this plant when it's still small. And fresh leaves will have a stronger flavor, meaning you'll be able to taste the bay a little better!

When temperatures start to drop into the 30s, bring your plant indoors. Place it in a garage, or if you plan to bring it inside your house, find a sunny spot for it to spend the winter.

One plus about overwintering bay leaf tree: Unlike many other plants you overwinter indoors, this one doesn’t tend to drop leaves as much other plants do when receiving less intense light levels, says Martin.

You also should check for pests before bringing it indoors. Spray it off with a garden hose, or use a preventive spray of neem oil to ensure nothing will hitchhike indoors. When temperatures warm up next spring, with no more freezes forecast, you can take it back outside.

These plants are incredibly slow to root, so you’ll need to be very patient if you want to propagate them, says Martin. Take a cutting with about several leaves and a short piece of stem. Dip the stem into rooting hormone, then poke it into a potting medium, such as sand, so that the piece stays upright. Water the cutting, then tent it with plastic to keep it moist. Keep it in a well-lit spot, but not in direct sunlight.

Rooting will take months to occur. In fact, it may be a few years before the cutting is ready to pot up. You’ll know your cutting has rooted successfully when you see new growth, says Martin.

Unfortunately, yes. According to the ASPCA, the bay leaf tree is toxic to pets. It contains eugenol and other essential oils that cause vomiting and diarrhea when ingested. The large, leathery leaves also can cause an obstruction if swallowed.

Call your vet ASAP if you suspect your pet has eaten any part of this plant, even if you’re not entirely sure. It’s always better to be safe than sorry!

Expert consulted:Byron E. Martin

Logee's Plants for Home and Garden

Byron Martin is co-owner of Logee’s Plants for Home and Garden and co-author of Edible Houseplants .