How to Grow Bay Laurels

By the SoilCommander Editorial Team, under the guidance of Nitin Sharma, Co-Founder · · How we check our facts

On this page
  1. Bay Laurel (Laurus nobilis)
  2. At a Glance
  3. Quick Facts
  4. Growth Stages
  5. Harvest & Storage
  6. Diseases
  7. Pests
  8. Plan your Bay Laurels planting
  9. Growing Bay Laurel in another region
  10. Sources
  11. Frequently Asked Questions

Bay laurels (Laurus nobilis) — Evergreen shrub or small tree.

Core growing advice on this page is checked against named horticultural sources — see References.

Bay Laurel (Laurus nobilis)

A bay laurel trained as a standard topiary — “Wave Hill - 20220616 - 33 - bay laurel” by Andre Carrotflower is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.

2 sources cited · Verified

At a Glance

A bay laurel trained as a standard topiary — “Wave Hill - 20220616 - 33 - bay laurel” by Andre Carrotflower is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
“Wave Hill - 20220616 - 33 - bay laurel” by Andre Carrotflower is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Laurus nobilis Bay Laurel Laurel wilt Phytophthora root rot Scale insects Bay sucker DISEASES PESTS

Quick Facts

The form of a mature bay laurel shrub — “Laurus nobilis-1-sims park-coonoor-ooty-Inida” by Yercaud-elango is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
“Laurus nobilis-1-sims park-coonoor-ooty-Inida” by Yercaud-elango is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Factor Value
Drainage Free-draining, doesn't get waterlogged; avoid damp ground (RHS). NC State: clay, high organic matter, loam or sand, good drainage, tolerates occasionally dry or wet.
Lifecycle Evergreen shrub or small tree. RHS describes it as hardy but needing protection in harsh conditions; NC State places reliable outdoor hardiness at USDA zones 8b-10b, stating plants need to come indoors in winter anywhere colder than zone 8b to prevent frost damage. Evergreen -- keeps its leaves all year round (RHS), so unlike deciduous herbs there is no defined leaf-drop dormant season.
Edible parts leaves

Growth Stages

Developing bay laurel flower buds — “Starr-150811-0527-Laurus nobilis-leaves buds-Enchanting Floral Gardens of Kula-Maui (24927959119)” by Forest and Kim Starr is licensed under CC BY 3.0 us.
“Starr-150811-0527-Laurus nobilis-leaves buds-Enchanting Floral Gardens of Kula-Maui (24927959119)” by Forest and Kim Starr is licensed under CC BY 3.0 us.
Stage BBCH Notes
Planting 0 RHS: plant in spring as the soil starts to warm, giving the plant time to establish before winter; stake tall standards for at least the first year. Containers: loam-based compost such as peat-free John Innes No 2 or 3, mixed with horticultural grit for drainage.
Container care 0 RHS: repot every 2-3 years into a slightly larger container with fresh compost; for large established containers, prune roots and refresh compost without upsizing. Water regularly through summer, and never let the compost become waterlogged.
Pruning and shaping 3 RHS: trim topiary in summer using secateurs, not hedge trimmers, which scar the leaves; shorten free-form shrubs in spring or summer. Tolerates hard pruning, best done mid-to-late spring. Remove suckers on standards immediately.
Overwintering 0 RHS: hardy but needs protection in harsh conditions -- cover smaller plants with biodegradable fleece, hessian or an old bedsheet during frost; group containers together, wrap them in bubble wrap, or move to a sheltered spot such as a greenhouse. NC State gives the harder US number: reliably hardy outdoors only in USDA zones 8b-10b, brought indoors anywhere colder to prevent frost damage.

Harvest & Storage

Dried bay laurel leaves — “Laurus nobilis folium 290135” by Rillke is licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 de.
“Laurus nobilis folium 290135” by Rillke is licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 de.

When to pick: RHS: evergreen, keeps its leaves all year round -- harvest fresh leaves anytime.

Storage

RHS: dry in a warm room or flattened between book pages, then store in an airtight container for a few months. SAFETY: whole leaves should not be eaten -- used to flavour a dish and removed before serving (NC State).

Diseases

Bay laurel leaves on red-tinted stems — “Laurus nobilis 002” by H. Zell is licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.
“Laurus nobilis 002” by H. Zell is licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.
Laurel wilt
high

Raffaelea lauricola

Named directly by NC State as a serious vascular disease; a real US-specific risk not mentioned by RHS's UK guide, consistent with laurel wilt being established in the southeastern United States rather than the UK.

Phytophthora root rot
moderate

RHS names root rot from damp soil/compost as the primary disease concern; NC State separately lists phytophthora and root rot -- the same underlying risk from two angles.

Pests

Bay laurel leaves held in a hand — “Starr-120305-3524-Laurus nobilis-leaves-Park Building 11 HNP-Maui (25111071006)” by Forest and Kim Starr is licensed under CC BY 3.0 us.
“Starr-120305-3524-Laurus nobilis-leaves-Park Building 11 HNP-Maui (25111071006)” by Forest and Kim Starr is licensed under CC BY 3.0 us.
Scale insects
low

Diaspididae / Coccidae

Named by both RHS ("scale insects, more than 25 species") and NC State ("scales").

Bay sucker
moderate

Trioza alacris

Named directly by RHS -- causes discoloration and distortion at shoot tips.

Plan your Bay Laurels planting

Timing for Bay Laurels follows soil temperature and frost, not the calendar date. The Global vegetable planting calendar explains the method. To work out where it fits in your beds, sketch your plot in the free Garden Layout Planner.

Growing Bay Laurel in another region

Sowing dates, frost timing and local advice differ by country. Use the guide for where you garden.

Sources

The full list of 2 sources behind this guide (North Carolina State University Extension (Plant Toolbox), Royal Horticultural Society) is in the references of our UK guide to bay laurels; they describe the plant itself, which is the same wherever it grows.

Frequently Asked Questions

What problems affect bay laurels?

Our data links 2 diseases and 2 pests to this crop. See the sections above for each one and how to manage it.

Plan next season before the problems start

This page gives you the thresholds; the planner turns them into your own calendar. It works from what you can observe and measure in your garden rather than from dates written for somebody else’s latitude.

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SoilCommander Editorial Team — under the guidance of Nitin Sharma, Co-Founder

Every growing guide is checked against RHS, USDA Cooperative Extension, and other named horticultural authorities before publishing. How we check our facts.

How this guide is put together

The growing data on this page — sowing windows, pests, diseases, soil and site requirements — comes from named horticultural sources, listed in References below, checked against international horticultural research and extension sources. An automated pipeline assembles that verified data into the page you're reading: it selects which facts to lead with and builds the surrounding prose and layout. It does not invent a date, a source or a number — where a verified value for a field isn't available, the page leaves it out rather than guessing. A person reviews and publishes each page; nothing goes live unverified.

Vegetable Growing Guides

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Last verified 2026-09-04

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