Bay Laurel
Bay Laurel is a herb in the Lauraceae family. It grows best in full sun to part shade with medium moisture, and is listed for USDA zones 8-11.
Varieties
1 · sorted by days to maturity▸Bay Laurel
PROPAGATION CATEGORY: Woody shrub (not currently in seed catalog). Use: Aromatic evergreen leaves used in cooking. Harvest: Pick mature leaves year-round; dry for storage.
Bay Laurel (Laurus nobilis) is the evergreen Mediterranean shrub that produces culinary bay leaves. Slow-growing and easily kept as a clipped container plant. Propagated from cuttings, not seed. Hardy in the ground in zones 8-11; overwinter indoors in colder zones.
Growing notes: Botanical name: Laurus nobilis|Hardiness zones: 8-11|Propagation: cutting|Sun needs: Full sun to part shade|Water needs: Medium|Mature height: 10-30 feet (kept smaller in pots)|Spacing: 60 inches|Harvest: Pick mature leaves year-round; dry for storage
Plan your bay laurel planting
Add bay laurel to a free GardenDraft plan and get sow, transplant, and harvest dates computed for your ZIP code — with a drag-and-drop bed layout and reminders when it’s time to plant.
Start your free plan →At a glance
Storing & preserving
Refrigerate stems in water, or wrap in a damp towel for a few days.
- Dry: Dehydrate or air-dry, then store airtight away from light.
- Freeze: Freeze chopped in oil or water in ice-cube trays.
General home-preservation guidance — for tested processing times and safety, follow the National Center for Home Food Preservation.
Growing timeline
Care & troubleshooting
No curated care & troubleshooting advice for bay laurel yet. Our extension-sourced library currently focuses on common edible crops; we're expanding it over time.