How to Grow Bay Leaves (Bay Laurel) - Complete Growing Guide 

I put these out as hedges in my garden five years ago and they're doing great... BTW, I'm in wet, cold and windy Scotland.

I live in the San Francisco Bay Area and I also happen to be a restoration ecologist. California bay trees (Umbellularia californica) are native trees in California and are an important component of our natural landscapes. While they are edible, no one I know, myself included, runs around collecting the leaves. This isn’t due to a lack of knowledge or understanding but rather because of the difference in flavor and aroma between Caifornia bay and bay laurel (Laurus nobilis), the traditional culinary herb. Bay laurel has a subtle aroma and flavor that is delicious, while cooking with California bay can leave your food smelling and tasting like Vic’s Vaporub due to its pungent (and to most, much less delicious) flavor and aroma.

I have successfully grown bay laurel in the Seattle area. My plant began its life as a 1 gallon plant from the home store and was a 5 foot tall and wide shrub when I sold that home. It was about 10 years old. It had survived 3 feet of snow and sub zero temps. I was shocked at how hardy it was. I did plant it in Sandy loam.

I've been growing bay in Baltimore, Md for decades. One made it to 9 feet. I'm zone 7a/b. So they grow in the ground in mid Atlantic heat and humidity with no issues. Because it' does not drop their leaves, I do have to strip the leaves every spring. The plants do not handle the cold well like a pine so the leaves are brown and spotted. They grow another set of leaves every spring, so stripping off the old leaves make room for new growth. I can get two trimmings every year for harvesting. Just take what you don't want to lose to winter.

Was just thinking about growing my own "bay leaves" a few days ago!! 😄 Thanks for sharing this info! Ready to grow Bay Laurel now! 💚

Really enjoying these videos. I have a bay laurel now that is defoliating and because of the video you helped me realize that I'm watering it way too much. Keep the videos coming thanks

I was online shopping for bay laurels yesterday! You do this a lot. Post a video on something I was looking at, just sowed or planted, etc the day or day after. It’s very convenient 😊. Didn’t find any in stock yet. Burpee wants a fortune for a small plant. I’m zone 9b, CA so I can put this in the ground w/my other huge perennial herbs & forget about it until I’m cooking Italian. Fingers crossed I can find a good bay laurel @ Lowe’s come spring. Didn’t see any last year in the edible aisles. Thanks for giving me the info I needed for my future bay!

Thank you xx I planted a bat tree in my garden over 20 yrs ago and did nothing but prune it back . It grew into a beautiful tree with the leaves as a bonus .. sadly I had to leave my house but recently purchased one from Amazon. It’s very healthy and am amazed how strong it is . Looking forward so much to it growing now xx

I’ve been growing bay laurel standards for 25 years. I keep my potted bay trees outside (zone 6) all year except when nighttime temperatures drop below 28 degrees F. They are very tolerant of the cold and prefer the cool nights. During the dead of winter they are inside in a cool well lit room or, ideally, an unheated south/southwest facing windowed garage. Cut back on watering during this period. In late winter /early spring, as long as outside nighttime temps stay above 27 degrees F, out they go in the sun.

Thank you! This is the most complete and thorough guide to growing bay that I've found, and I've been looking for awhile. Exactly what I needed to know.

I planted my Bay Laurel 5 years ago in Salem Oregon in fairly clay heavy soil. It has grown from a 1 foot (.33 meter) to 15 feet (5 meters) and I have added nothing but a pruning shear to the foliage (zero additional fertilizer - just plant a tree and watch it grow kind of care). Super easy to grow and a real pleasure to look at all year long.

How appropriate! I just bought 3 small bay plants, and up comes your video on them.. I had been looking for 2 yrs and none of the garden centers here had them. I actually happened to stop in on our local Bowman's nursery and they had a tray of them... but not for sale, for a program on Sat. I talked them into letting me have 3!, Now I can transplant them into a bit larger pots as I have watched your video. Thank you.

I just received two bay leaf small plants that I ordered. I was in the process of researching and your video is very timely!!! Thank you, as I will be transplanting them next month, so thank you again!!!!!

I have a bay leaf bush in Sacramento area. Very productive . Thank you for the video, will take cuttings and propagate them and try to sell.

Our bay leaves have adapted to our climate up here in the PNW. They’ve survived temperatures in the 30’s and below. Great video Luke!

I like to use bay leaves in my magick so this is amazing thank you.

I bought a bay laurel clipping off amazon about a year ago and I saw a lot of success fertilizing with coffee grounds

Hi Luke. I live in Northern Europe and have mine outside for the past 3 winters. Only realized now that the plant is not so winter hardy. We have winters on average a little above freezing but regularly get frost down to -5 -10 Celsius. It has probably survived a night or two down to -15. So I guess they would survive outside in a large portion of the US. In comparison I always bring in my rosemary for winter.

I was interested in what you said about temperature for the Bay, I grow these in the UK directly in the earth and we have temperatures down to -10C sometimes during the winter and they have been growing well for years.

I just bought seeds from you. First time. Cheers brother!

Luke all these years later ran across one today my local garden center. Tyvm, last year I killed one this year armed information. Before buying a pot & soil so happy this video out there! Thanks for all you do!

I know someone here on the "Wet Coast" with a beautiful lush bay tree. We get snow in the winter quite often, but this tree is happy.

Thanks so informative and well needed since I have a bay leaves tree growing for few months now. And about the California part where this tree is everywhere, I bet people are still buying bay leaves because they dint know that this plant is actually what produces those lol

I grow them outside in Washington state and it gets well-below freezing for extended periods of time and they do fine.

I love our bay tree. I bought it from a nursery in a tiny pot. My husband planted it in our front yard and now it stands over 10 feet. It’s gorgeous and we enjoy the bay leaves. We didn’t do anything special to the soil. We just planted it and forgot about it.

I have a tree that is 5’ tall and 4’ wide. It is in a huge pot and I’ve had it for about 10 yrs. Mother Nature waters it for me, I toss worm coatings on it a opulent of times a year. I’m in Central Fl. Keep your channel coming.

I live outside of Houston, TX. We have lots of rain and humidity. My bay leaf is over 5' in diameter and 15' tall. It just got stuck in the ground when I bought a rooted cutting and left to its own devices. This year I'm propagating for friends.

Are use Bay leaves quite often in my sauces, spaghetti sauce, chicken broth, all my soups, chili, beans, taco meat, I grew up, using the herb The Bayleaf, and that’s why I’m purchasing my own bay leaves 🍃 because I always need them , there a rich herb to use and without my salsas will not taste right you can always tell that there’s somethings missing, if I forget to put a bay leaf , all of my soups and sauces and spaghetti and etc. etc. your dishes do not taste the same, once you start putting them in your sauces once you do it, you’ll never stop , and all the other food items I mentioned it takes your it to another level, so I need this Bayleaf little tree in my life! I need to have my own , so I can process my own, this is the type of herb that I grew up with from a southern family . Thank you for all your help. I went online to purchase this wonderful herb 🌿 The mighty bay leaves. 😅🥰👩🏾‍🦲😍

Thanks for the video. I've been wanting to grow my own bay leaves for cooking. Thanks for the tips.

I have been growing 3 Bay Trees in Florida (zone 9b) in containers from small cuttings in containers for the past 3 years and they are doing quite well. They are also salt tolerant as the containers are no more than 10 meters from a salt marsh estuary. Even with the high humidity here I have not yet experienced any powdery mildew problems.

I knew I had lost my soul to gardening the day I lugged a 50 pound bag of sand up 3 flights of stairs cuz I needed 2 scoops and "I will use it eventually". I really want a bay laurel for my aromatic bonsai garden.

I like Bay Leaves especially in all my cooking and l learnt it from my late mother and ever since then l have used it for other purposes it's great and amazing wonderful plant.

Laurus nobilis, AKA Sweet Bay, is hardy in our zone 8b climate here in Portland Oregon. There is a very old one over 60' tall in Newberg, just south and west if us. Andy VanHevelingen, a long time herb grower there discovered it. I have the gold leafed form that has lived several years in a large frost safe ceramic container. In containers they stay smaller. I root prune every couple years to keep them healthy. It has taken our rainy weather in stride with no root issues. Scale has been the only insect problem I have encountered.

Top 3 easy trees to grow! *sigh* .... looks at the 3rd dead bay tree in my window...

Can you demonstrate how to grow from a cutting please? Did you take your cutting from the tip of you plant and how many leaves did you leave on? Did you root the cutting in water first or put direct into potting mix? By the way my two bay trees have survived the British winters here.

I live in Jerusalem, Israel. You should see our bay trees! When I go weeding, I always kill some half-dozen of them.... They need NO care in our climate, they take tempertures from -5 to +45 C in their stride. Now growing Chestnuts here..... that's tricky. I'm trying.

I’m in coastal SC (humid!)...you just convinced me to keep mine in a pot indoors vs. putting in the ground. TY

I got my first one. It is now showing to be happy after I transplanted it. Had it for 2 weeks now.

Hi Luke. I’m in the uk also and live where these trees should not grow from the rain and winds we get yet I have been growing them for years. I have around 20 Laurus nobilis. One is 20 years old and is soo healthy. I planted mine in the ground and they are doing really well, from 10 inches in pots to 15 feet in two years. I use the branches for garden supports as they are very strong. Did you know that bay branches are used for walking sticks and last for a hundred years. Besides using the leaves in cooking I also make tinctures with dried leaves. Always use the older leaves not the fresh ones. My soil is not the best but they grow really well.Plant yours outside in the ground as they don’t really grow much in any pots. They also make great privacy fence and are evergreen. 🙂

Thank you for sharing this wonderful tutorial on how to grow bay leaf tree🙏🙏🙏👍🏽👍🏽👍🏽👍🏽👍🏽👍🏽👍🏽

I didn't know the Bay Laurel needed well draining soil and protection. I planted as a shrub at the end of the driveway. I live in zone 8b in Aurora, Oregon. Our soil is dense clay and we do get a fair amount of rain. 8 years later it's a stately shrub that I had to trim back a few times but it worked. TYJ Sometimes there is no explanation for the outcome. Now I know.

Didn’t talk about when the best time to harvest your bay laurel. That might be worth a follow up on harvesting tips. As you may have noticed your young leaves are not as aromatic as the older leaves. What is the best way to get the best bay leaves use as a herb?

Some people just love to hear themselves talk ,still gave you a thumbs up!!

Hello, Mlgardner!!. You wil probably not believe it, but the top leaves of my bay leaf plant got sun burnt!!. Love your channel!!.

My bay was planted about 5 years ago and it looked pretty sad. This year it’s suddenly thriving, lots of new growth. My daughter always asks me to bring her a branch from my tree, she uses in her cooking , she lets the branch dry in her window and it lasts well. I will try to grow her a little tree of her own. I’m UK and bay trees grow well here. My parents had a beautiful huge bay tree in their garden too.

2021 the year the laurel will turn green again❤

I love bay leaves its magical!

I have one outside my kitchen that is nearly 30'! I'm in SW Washington and it's only been in the ground for 14 years. When in California I used to harvest Bay Leaves at UCSC Campus and they were all over 20' tall. Maybe in arid climates they are bushes but here in my clay soil in rain country they are trees! Being by a bay we don't usually get extreme temperature fluctuations but we do get over 100" of rain per year.

I’d like to plant a bay laurel tree outside but I’m in Central Valley of CA. A friend nearby has a tree. Should I get a cutting from that tree since it grows well here?

Great video! Word to the wise. Scale loves bay laurel!

Excellent. I’ve got 2 babies to repot. Very helpful. Thanks.

I'm on the West Coast of the Central Belt of Scotland. I grew Bay in a huge ceramic pot in our tiny garden at our last house and we had to leave it because it was far too difficult to move. I bought a small Bay to plant up here a few years ago and it, too, is in a planter outside, south facing, but sheltered by a Pampas Grass. I took my second, larger, harvest of Bay leaves to dry last summer and now need to pot it on as it seems to have "babies". It was put into potting compost with nothing exceptional added and a mulch of woodchip, which seems completely counter to lots of sand/hates wet roots. I will be changing most of the compost, but it will probably be home-made plus sand. We get plenty of rain - to the point where pots do water log. Perhaps I've been lucky with mine. I'll pay attention to drainage and do need to feed them a bit in the future, but they are difficult to kill, which is probably just as well ...

I'm from Camaroon I. Love it 🎉🎉❤❤ WOW

Just episode it's exactly why I love your channel.

Laurel, Monstera and Kiss me quick are my next plant project :D thanks for the information

So in humid conditions this would be a great house plant.

I let my 6 foot bey leaf on the porch below freeze winter it came back huge this spring picked it clean all new leaves.

I love my lil bay tree. It’s been in a small pot since I got it and it’s been 2 years and still growing well. It defo needs to be put in a bigger pot though very soon. But I live in a cool temperate climate and it’s been fine. I do have over head protection though. But I heard it can’t handle the cold but anyone who lives in a cooler or hot climate it will grow. Just keep it under a big tree in winter and frost season.

These grow abundantly along river and streams in southern Oregon.

Thank your for this information Luke ,,, I have always wanted to grow some bay !

I have a 1.5m bay tree in a pot outside my kitchen (in Cambridge UK, with a rainfall akin to Seattle). It stays outside all year - including periods of sub-zero (centigrade) temperatures. It is doing fine.

You have an awesome SEED Facebook page. I just ordered some seeds. Thanks. Rhonda

Bay Laurel grows wild and prolific in the sub-tropical heat and humidity, clay soil, partly shady woodlands of NW Alabama, USA.

People always say the leaves in California are too strong. I don’t find that at all. I use younger leaves all the time.

Great! Now How do I get the seedlings? I love gardening!

Great information. Sounds like a fun thing to try and grow up here in the cold snowy mitten.

Good video, wanted to point out there are several types of bay trees. it seems the video is focused on the California Bay, not the Bay Laurel. The bay laurel grows wild down here in Florida, which is VERY humid. We have a bay laurel, and have seen many other varieties in the local area. ours thrives on frequent watering and rich well drained soil.

I love Bay Leaves (Laurel) this plant 🌱 is sacred plants symbol power of kings ..etc.

We have a Bay Laurel that is 6 to 7 feet tall here in Southern California Inland area so we have it growing in ground under a lath house since we can get down into freezes sometimes- your seed company was recommended by J&R BEE FARM- been ordering seed from you often now

excellent thanks for sharing see you

it is so good for natural herb grow plant

I have 2 of these in the south of UK there growing insane , nearly 2 meters tall. Just in pots outside water and fertiliser

Wow!nice. Thanks.

The one more thing I would love to know is : how to harvest these leaves without effecting the plant ? Do we harvest from the top or the bottom etc ...

This is definitely on my list for this year!

Thank you.

This vid is very helpful and informative. Thank you for sharing. Been searching for a good video on growing bay leaf.

nice plant thankyou for sharing that I well have to think about growing It

I have had a bay tree for about 1.5 years. And while it's still alive (possibly I just lucky, since I was a bad plant parent and didn't research it before now), I have learned from this video why it always looks a little rough.

Fantastic information as always.🙏

can i add cactus soil mix with pro mix potting soil - would that give me the correct soil for bay leaves?

I learned a lot ty

I just bought one and plan on keeping it in a large pot. Hopefully mulching will be sufficient to keep it alive when it starts raining here in east bay ca.

Thank you

I planted a bay laurel outside in a dry area of my garden this summer in Ann Arbor, but I'm guessing I need to pull it out of the garden and put it in a pot inside for the winter? When should I pull it out?

I’ve always wanted a bay tree

Bay leave trees are native to my island (Madeira island) and we even have the largest laurel forest in the whole world and let me tell you, it's a very wet forest that receives upwards of 1000mm of rain a year... In some areas it gets over 3000mm of rainfall.

I will try again now that I know to add sand (50%) to the soil. & Maybe keep it indoors since we often have 80% humidity!

This is very helpful thank you for sharing this

Lol just like they say I can’t grow avocados here in my cooler climate lol yes I can. I have so many of them now. Lol I’m addicted to planting avo seeds haha. But i have my 6 decent types aka hass,reed, feurte, lamb Hass, Pinkerton! And bacon. That’s enough for me and I just grow the seeds for fun and to see what can handle my climate the best and then I hopefully will grow a new type that’s amazing and cold hardy 😀 But even though I can grow them they are all in pots cos my soil sucks and I plan on amending my soil and replacing a heap of it with sand just for avos. But I have them all in pots under neatly gum trees or side of house etc. So they get less above frost issues. The ones next to house don’t get any damage in winter at all. The ones under the gum did get a little damage but that’s mainly cos they were in their small pot far too long and were root bound. So since repotting into a large pot they have come good again. So yeah guys just give it a try. If ya don’t want to waste money on avo trees start with a seedling and just grow it for free. If it grows well keep it and see what happens. Then you know you can have some varieties that can hack the cold better. My fave is lamb hass, it’s doing so well and it’s only in a small pot. It’s semi dwarf too I think so it’s great for large pots. Same with Pinkerton it’s good for big pots as long as you grow it under a big tree for protection from frosts.

The bay leaves with serrated edges is cherry laurel, which is toxic. I have both on my property.

Thanks for sharing the information. Great.

Thank you! Super Amazon will check it out!

Can you use a cactus potting soil to transplant a bay tree? Mine is a single stem. My rabbit got ahold of it and ate half the leaves off last fall. I'm trying to get it to recover still.

I found that they don't like being in the sun all of the time, they're happy in the shade with a little sun.

How do you differentiate California bay laurel (Umbellularia californica) from Laurus nobilis? When searching Google images I see plants of what to me look like both species all lumped in as L. nobilis. I understand that seed size might be an indicator as California bay laurel seeds are much larger than L. nobilis. Can you help clear this up?

Wow, a bay yanny so interesting

Thanks alway wondered about bay trees

I just learned that bay laid out through layers of tice helps to keep bugs out provided you have a lid on food grade bucket. So, i want to grow a bay leaf free. First, what kind of lights do you use and then where can i get a start? Are they slow growing?

Do you know if it can be propagated from a leaf? I recently rooted a leaf from my ficus benjamina which I didn't think was possible.