Bay Laurel
Did you know that the bay leaf you just dropped into your sauce comes from a tree? Bay laurel is an evergreen tree that is native to the Mediterranean area. It is hardy in zones 8 through 10. When grown in the ground, it can reach a height of 30′ to 60′ although it can be pruned into a topiary or even a hedge. It prefers well-drained soil and grows well in sun or partial shade.
North of zone 8, bay laurel is grown in containers and either grown entirely indoors or set outdoors during warm weather and then brought indoors during the winter. Bay laurel grows well in containers as long as you keep it pruned to a maximum height of 6′. Pruning should be done mid- spring. Use supplemental light indoors and keep your tree away from drafts near windows and doors. It is sensitive to the cold.
Because it is native to a dry part of the world, bay laurel is drought tolerant. It is best to give it a good watering and then allow it to dry out completely between waterings. If grown in a container, it will require fertilizer which should be applied in the spring.
Bay laurel is a dioecious plant, with male and female flowers on separate plants. It flowers in the spring and if there is a tree of the opposite sex nearby, it will produce purple berries in the fall. Each berry contains one seed.
It is difficult to grow bay laurel from seed because the seeds take up to 6 months to germinate. Bay laurel can be propagated by cuttings taken in the late summer which should then be overwintered in a humid environment such as a greenhouse or conservatory. Most of us buy our bay laurels as plants.
The fresh leaves are too bitter to be used in cooking. They should be dried first. Drying bay laurel leaves is easy. You can use leaves from your spring pruning or just pick leaves off of your tree. You can begin harvesting leaves from your tree after it reaches a height of 2 feet. Try to use the largest leaves. They have more flavor because they contain more of the essential oil (eucolyptol) used to flavor your soups, stews and sauces.
To dry the leaves, lay them on a paper towel in a cool, dark spot for about a week. Then store them in an airtight glass jar. I like mason jars because you can get a good seal on them. The leaves can be stored for up to a year. Freshly dried bay leaves have a superior flavor to the dried leaves you buy at the store. Once you start using your own homegrown bay leaves, you will never go back to the store bought ones.
Bay laurel is useful for more than cooking. It is also ornamental and can be used in wreaths and garlands. It pays to have at least one bay laurel tree on hand.
32 Comments on “Bay Laurel”
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I have just started a ltlite herb garden in my backyard. So far I have one raised planter with Oregano, Rosemary & Lavander. I have it in direct sunlight outside. I also hav a smaller plant pot with two kinds of Basil and I was thinking of adding Parsley to it today, it wasn’t doing good next to the Oregano planter so I moved it to the shaded window ledge. Should I bring it inside and can I put the Parsley in with the Basil?Thanks in advance
You can plant parsley and basil together, however, neither one will do well in the shade. If you bring your container indoors, you will need to provide supplemental lighting. Light from your windows will not be enough.
I have a one year old bay plant in a pot that is 18 high with not a single lateral branch. Should I cut it back and if so, how much? Thank you for this very helpful article.
No, I would not cut it back just yet. Bay laurel is a tree and grows much slower than herbaceous plants like basil. If your plant is healthy and producing leaves, then it should be fine. It will eventually develop branches.
I live in Jacksonville, Florida and grow Bay Laurel trees from cuttings I take on new growth, also on “suckers” that I dig up around established plants. I do purchase seed from Richter’s Herbs in June and get some plants started. Richter’s only have seeds available in May and June and they come packaged damp as if seeds dry out they will not germinate. I do not agree that one must dry the leaves for better flavor. We cut healthy leaves and use in soups, stews, sauces without a problem and believe the flavor much better than dried. I have also harvested new leaves by grinding them up for a paste to use in soups with excellent results. For the lady with the 18″ high Bay tree, I would suggest she top it out and it will put out lateral branches. I have had insects chew off the top of my seedlings and notice those are much fuller later due to nature helping me out. Visit Cunningham’s Herbs on facebook and see some of my Bay trees.
Thanks for your information. I will visit your FB page and check out your bay laurels.
Will it work to plant a small (1 gallon) Sweet Bay plant in the center of a large pot with 2 inch Wooly Thyme around the circumference?
Unfortunately, no. Bay Laurel trees can grow quite large. The only way to keep them small enough to fit a container is to remove them from their container and prune their roots each spring. This would disturb and probably kill anything else growing in the same container.
My bay tree is greater than 5 years old. It has never flowered. Would love to have flowers and berries eventually. Don’t know how to achieve this. Any advice.
Are you fertilizing your bay laurel? Is it in a container that is large enough? If you only have one bay laurel, you will never have berries. Each tree is either male or female. You need both a male and female tree to have berries.
There are bay trees growing wild in the woods here they’re very tall and about this time of year or last month they have lots of small white flowers that look a lot like a mini Magnolia blossom. I always thought these were bay laurel and the same as we used in stews etc. You can see them along the Highway.
That’s fascinating! Where do you live?
I live in Istria, Croatia and have ten or so mature bay trees growing on my property, only some of which fruit. I have three questions: 1) Is it possible to tell male & female trees apart, if so, how? 2) One tree in particular produces a lot of fruit (that the birds love). Can I press the fruit for oil? 3) Where can I find technical literature on the oil? For instance, type of press, how to process the oil, oil properties, safety issues, etc.
You can tell male trees from female trees by the flowers. Male flowers have stamens which contain pollen to fertilize the female flowers. Female flowers have pistils which contain the ovary of the plant. As far as I know bay laurel essential oil is made from the leaves, not the fruit. The oil is obtained by a distillation process.
Five years ago my wife & I bought a house in central Florida. We started to clean up the back yard. My wife noticed a four foot shrub and started to dig it out where I suggested to leave it alone because we didn’t know what it was, certainly not a weed. The “weed” started to get taller, eventually branching into a tree. Four years later at 15 feet tall the tree burst into flowering, then green berries appeared, which the later turned black. At breakfast we noticed the tree shaking violently. Hundred of robins were flying in and out of the tree stripping the tree of its black berries. Curiosity got the best of me so I decided to find out what kind of a tree we thought years ago was a weed. Using leaves and berries from the tree as a guide I finally discovered it to be a bay laurel tree. We checked with comparing its leaves with bay leaves from our spice rack and sure enough, a perfect match. Since we have plenty room in the back yard, we are now considering adding a few more bay laurel trees as they are such beautiful trees an we would love to have more birds visit us in the near future.
if planting bay tree in ground, does it like full sun or shade
Bay laurel will grow in full sun or partial shade when planted in the ground or grown in a container. It always does best in full sun.
I live in zone 9a and am considering planting bay laurel for wreath production. How long will it take cuttings to mature enough to be harvested for commercial use in your opinion? An alternative would be to buy 3ft plants in five gallon and start there. How long would it take for those to mature if I planted them in the ground? Lastly, are they vigorous enough that I could harvest most of the leaves each year and they would grow back, or would I have to do a rotation where I could only harvest a part of my crop each year? Thanks.
I would start with 3 foot trees and even then, it could take up to a decade for the trees to reach a size where you could get a large enough harvest. Trees grow very slowly. You would not be able to harvest most of the leaves because the trees need their foliage to survive. I would recommend at least a dozen trees and a lot of patience.
I bought one plant in store but I’m not sure if it isBay Leaf . I asked the lady assigned that day in the store but she do t have any idea because it’s an marked. It was the only one left so I bought it but I really want to know if it’s bay leaf. But it’s look like. Can you help me to identify it. I can send you the picture.
I don’t know if I will be able to ID your plant solely from a photo, but you can email me at herbladyadvice@gmail.com.
I have several bays in my garden which have grown like crazy this year, and are currently yielding large quantities of black berries. What can I do with these? Information about their edibility is very confused. I would love to be able to use them in some way – medicinally, or as food – or in any other way! Many thanks.
I would be careful with the berries. In the past, they were used to induce abortions.
I “adopted” a bay leaf tree from a neighbor because it was too tall for her living room. I think I’ve killed it, and I’m not sure what I did wrong. It seems that all the leaves have just dried up, and I’m hoping I can still revive the plant. I live in NW Ontario, Canada, and putting the plant outdoors for the majority of the year is NOT an option. Any suggestions?
Two things come to mind. It may not be getting enough light so you can try using supplemental lighting. Also, bay laurel is very sensitive to cold drafts so if your tree is close to a drafty window or near a door that lets in cold air every time it is opened, you should move your tree to a more consistently warm place in your home.
This past spring I purchased a bay laurel tree. It is growing well and the leaves all look beautiful. A couple of months ago a new lateral branch began to grow and is producing so many leaves. While the leaves closest to the trunk look exactly like the leaves on the rest of the tree, the leaves on the next 2/3rds of the branch are much fatter and are a more chartreuse color than the deep forest green on the other branches. Is the typical? Why would it have two very distinctly different looking leaves? Also, there doesn’t appear to be any grafting on the tree. Thanks!
On my own bay laurel tree, the new leaves look very different from the mature leaves. The other thought that comes to mind is that if this new branch in at the bottom of your tree, it was grafted even though you don’t see any visible grafting scars.
I’ve heard putting bay leaves in mason jars with dry beans, rice or flour will keep the weevil and other insects out. Plus keep the food fresh. Is this rue and if so which bay leaves and from which tree would be best?
There is only one “bay leaf.” It comes from the bay laurel tree. If you are going to use bay leaves in food to repel insects, use only dried leaves. Fresh ones will rot.
lporosky@yahoo.com I want to purchase a bay laural tree shall I find a male and female? where to purchase? I am elderly and I know that their full beauty will not display in my lifetime.
Both male and female trees produce flowers. You only need both a male and female if you want berries. You should be able to purchase a bay laurel tree at any nursery or local herb sale. You will get a seedling, that is 12 to 18 inches tall. Do not harvest any leaves until your plant is at least two feet tall.