Bay laurel
Laurus nobilis
Pick the leaves any day of the year; slow, evergreen, and happy in a big pot where winters bite.
Hardiness: zones 8 to 11
Light: full sun to part shade
Size: about 25 ft tall, 15 ft wide
Harvest: year-round
From: Mediterranean
Drought-hardy once established
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, pollinators.
Native to: Mediterranean. Hardy in zones 8 to 11.
The story
Bay laurel crowned victors in Greece and Rome, and the word baccalaureate comes from its berries; it has flavoured stews and stocks ever since and lived in pots in every European courtyard that gets frost.
Planting
Full sun or part shade, drained soil; plant in spring, in the ground where winters stay above 15°F or in a pot elsewhere. Slow-growing, to 30 feet unclipped.
Growing
Water modestly, feed lightly, and clip to shape; it takes clipping well. Bring pots in before hard frost.
Harvest and use
Pick leaves any time; dry them a week for the best flavour. Fresh leaves are stronger and slightly bitter.
What to watch for
Scale and the sooty mould that follows it; bay sucker on the leaf edges.
See if Bay laurel fits your yard
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More perennial vegetables, greens and herbs
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