Azores laurel (louro)

Laurus azorica

The bay tree of the islands' cloud forests: its leaves season Azorean stews and its fruit feeds the wood pigeons.

Type: canopy tree · native and wild plants
Hardiness: zones 9 to 11
Light: full sun to part shade
Size: about 40 ft tall, 20 ft wide
Harvest: year-round
From: Azores, with a twin on Madeira and the Canaries
Here: Too tender to overwinter outdoors on the Lake Erie shore (zone 6b to 7a): grow it in a pot and bring it in, or treat it as an annual.

Good for: food, wildlife, screens and hedges.

Native to: Atlantic islands (Macaronesia). Hardy in zones 9 to 11.

The story

Laurel forest, laurisilva, once covered the Azores, Madeira and the Canaries, a living piece of the evergreen forests that spread across southern Europe millions of years ago. The Azores laurel is its backbone. Islanders still drop its leaves into stews and marinades the way mainland cooks use bay.

Planting

Full sun to part shade in deep, moist, well-drained soil. It shrugs off salt wind once settled, so plant it on the windward side as a shelter tree. Plant in autumn or winter, when the rains are steady.

Growing

Slow at first, then steady. Mulch well and water through the first dry summer. Prune lightly to keep a hedge shape, or let it grow into a tall tree.

Harvest and use

Pick leaves any time of year and dry them in the shade. Use them like bay leaves in stews, beans and grilled meat. Leave the dark fruit for the birds.

What to watch for

Scale insects and sooty mould in sheltered, still corners. Frost below about -4°C hurts young trees.

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More native and wild plants

General guidance, not professional advice. Conditions vary by yard and year; for local specifics ask your county extension office. Never eat a wild plant you cannot identify with certainty. Traditional uses are shared as history, not medical advice. © 2026 Sean Priest · Irie Orchard. Terms & credits · Privacy · Home