Bay Laurel
Laurus nobilis
- Stay Protected with Plant Sentry ™
Bay Laurel - #1 Container is backordered and will ship as soon as it is back in stock.
Plant Sentry™
Plant Sentry™
Plant Sentry is designed to protect both consumers and the nursery trade from invasive plant pests and diseases. Sites that display the Plant Sentry protection badge are protected from consumers buying and nurseries shipping material carrying invasive pests and diseases.
This proprietary eCommerce software prevents the shipment of a restricted plant to each state. The Plant Sentry system includes a shipment certification program. The Plant Sentry Compliance Officer works closely with NatureHills.com and each nursery or fulfillment center to ensure only compliant plants are sold to customers.
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Delivery and Shipping
Delivery and Shipping
Shipping
To obtain a more accurate shipment time-frame, simply enter your zip code in the “Find Your Growing Zone” box to the right. Our plants are grown all over the country and lead time on items may be different because of this. Once your order is placed, you will also receive the specific shipment time-frame information as part of your order confirmation. Once an item ships, you will receive shipment notification and tracking numbers, so you can follow along while your plant travels to your doorstep. We use FedEx, UPS, or USPS at our discretion.
Due to winter weather we have put a hold on shipping to the areas shown below in grey. You can still order now and we will ship the plant to you during an appropriate time for your zone.
Standard Shipping Rates
At Nature Hills we handle, package and ship the products you order with the utmost care to ensure healthy delivery. Shipping and handling charges are calculated based on the tables below. Please note that some items include an additional handling surcharge, these will be noted on the item's product page.
| From | To | S&H |
|---|---|---|
| $0 | $19.99 | $24.99 |
| $20 | $49.99 | $29.99 |
| $50 | $69.99 | $34.99 |
| $70 | $99.99 | $39.99 |
| $100 | $129.99 | $44.99 |
| $130 | $149.99 | $48.99 |
| $150 | $150+ | Approx 28% |
Click here to see our full rates
Understanding Plant Options
Nature Hills offers plants in two main formats:
- Container Plants: Grown in pots with soil, sized by container volume and plant age
- Bare Root Plants: Dormant plants without soil, sized by height measurements
Container Plant Sizes
Container sizes indicate plant age and growing capacity rather than liquid volume equivalents. Our containers follow industry-standard nursery "trade gallon" specifications, which differ from standard liquid gallon measurements.
Young Plants (6 months to 18 months old)
| Container Size | Actual Volume | Metric Equivalent |
|---|---|---|
| 2" x 2" x 3" | 0.18 - 0.21 dry quarts | 0.20 - 0.23 dry liters |
| 4" Container | 0.31 - 0.87 dry quarts | 0.35 - 0.96 dry liters |
| 4.5" Container | 0.65 dry quarts | 0.72 dry liters |
| 6" Container | 1.4 dry quarts | 1.59 dry liters |
| 1 Quart | 1 dry quart | 1.1 dry liters |
| 5.5" Container | 1.89 dry quarts | 2.08 dry liters |
Established Plants (18 months to 2.5 years old)
| Container Size | Actual Volume | Metric Equivalent |
|---|---|---|
| 2 Quart | 2 dry quarts | 2.2 dry liters |
| #1 Container | 2.26 - 3.73 dry quarts | 2.49 - 4.11 dry liters |
| 5" x 5" x 12" | 3.5 - 4.3 dry quarts | 3.85 - 4.74 dry liters |
Mature Plants (2-4 years old)
| Container Size | Actual Volume | Metric Equivalent |
|---|---|---|
| #2 Container | 1.19 - 1.76 dry gallons | 5.24 - 7.75 dry liters |
| #3 Container | 2.15 - 2.76 dry gallons | 8.14 - 12.16 dry liters |
Large Plants (3-5 years old)
| Container Size | Actual Volume | Metric Equivalent |
|---|---|---|
| #5 Container | 2.92 - 4.62 dry gallons | 12.86 - 20.35 dry liters |
| #6 Container | 5.25 - 6.01 dry gallons | 23.12 - 26.42 dry liters |
| #7 Container | 5.98 - 6.53 dry gallons | 26.34 - 28.76 dry liters |
Bare Root Plants
Bare root plants are sold by height from the root system to the top of the plant. Plants may exceed minimum height requirements.
Common Sizes:
- Trees: 1 foot, 2 feet, 3 feet, 4 feet, 5 feet, 6 feet
- Shrubs & Perennials: 1 foot, 18 inches, 2 feet
Important Notes
Container Volume Specifications
- Trade Gallon Standard: Our containers follow industry-standard "trade gallon" specifications established by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI Z60.1) for nursery stock
- Volume Variations: Actual soil volume may vary due to plant root systems and growing medium settlement
- Age Indicators: Container size primarily indicates plant age and maturity rather than liquid volume equivalents
Growing Conditions
- Plant size can vary based on variety and growing conditions
- Container size helps indicate plant maturity and establishment level
- Larger containers generally mean more established root systems and faster landscape establishment
Seasonal Availability
- Bare root plants are available seasonally when dormant
- Container plants are available throughout the growing season
- Specific varieties may have limited availability in certain sizes
Questions?
For questions about specific plant sizes or availability, please contact our plant experts who can help you choose the right size for your landscape needs.
Bay Laurel
Plant Highlights
Bay Laurel highlights at a glance!
Specifications
Specifications
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Brand
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Botanical Name
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Growing Zones
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Mature Height
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Mature Spread
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Sun ExposureFull Sun
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Moisture
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Soil
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Growth RateMedium, Slow
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Flower Color
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Fall Color
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Pollinator Friendly
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Pollinator Required
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Bloom PeriodLate Spring
Growing Zones 8-11 (patio 4-11)
Pretty Ornamental Edible Bay Laurel Tree
- Beautiful Privacy Screen
- Evergreen Shrub
- Culinary Use for Aromatic Bay Leaf Laurels
- Wonderful Patio Tree
- Disease and Pest Resistant
- Drought Tolerant
With its knockout, dark green leaves, the evergreen Bay Laurel (Laurus nobilis) makes an ideal patio container plant. For gardeners in Zones 8 - 11, you can plant it in the ground to use as an aromatic screening plant.
For millennia, people have enjoyed the fragrance and lovely look of this classic plant, with its aromatic leaves. After all, aromatic Laurel leaves were woven into circlets and worn by early Olympian champions to celebrate their victory.
Allow it to reach its full size, or easily hold it as a smaller accent plant by pruning for size.
Train it as a single or multi-trunk tree, this plant looks great when limbed up and used to increase the height of a "good neighbor" fence without giving up extra space in the yard. No matter how you use it, this evergreen plant gives you much-needed privacy year-round.
You'll love being able to pick and dry your own fresh Bay leaves for favorite recipes to add a wonderfully complex flavor while cooking. Simply use a slotted spoon to remove them before serving. Heavenly!
Include the dried leaves in homemade soap, potpourri or holiday garland. Create dried Bay wreathes for your kitchen. What a thoughtful gift for other chefs in your circle of family and friends.
Order today, you'd hate to miss out.
How to Use Bay Laurel Tree in the Landscape
Pest and disease resistant Bay Laurel is wonderful in an organic garden. There is nothing that adds the depth of flavor like dried Bay leaves. Grow Bay to harvest fresh leaves and dry them yourself.
This is a fabulous screening plant. A dense canopy of fragrant Bay leaves provides privacy and can block out unwanted views in a beautiful way.
The gorgeous, evergreen Bay Laurel makes a striking backdrop when grown in the ground. Or, use it in large Tuscan-style containers as a specimen or focal point.
For large patios, consider planting multiples of the same container to create a curved grouping behind your outdoor furniture. Also strategically place ones in containers to create privacy points on the patio. Or place one on either side of a doorway to announce to the world that a gourmet foodie lives here!
Live outside hardiness zones 8 - 11? Move your ornamental Bay Laurel containers inside for the winter.
#ProPlantTips for Care
Laurel plantings can be done in either full sun or partial shade. They are also adapted to a wide range of soils and climate.
This plant only requires good drainage to thrive. It’s best to give it fast draining soil. Mound up if you need to improve drainage by adding 18 – 24 inches of soil on top of your native soil. You’ll be planting your Bay Laurel in that mound.
Mulch over the root ball. Once established, the Bay Laurel is extremely drought tolerant and requires little in the way of extra care besides pruning.
Order today, these wonderful plants are in high demand.
The Ancient Culinary Variety That Can Do It All!
One of the best evergreen plants, the Bay Laurel, also known as the Sweet Bay or Grecian Bay, traces its history back to ancient Greece where it is one of an ancient variety of plants that once covered vast areas of the Mediterranean basin. Known as the Laurel Forests, the fossil records show Laurus were widely distributed in the region before the Pleistocene glaciation, 2 million to 11 thousand years ago.
In the ancient Roman culture, a wreath of Bay Laurel worn around the head was a symbol of the highest status, this powerful herb was said to possess the power of victory; today the Bay Laurel is still worn by graduating Italian school students. One of the most important plants in the history of mankind, this plant provided food, medicine, ornamental and spiritual nourishment for tens of thousands of years throughout all of the Mediterranean and China as well.
The versatility of the Bay Laurel is what makes it one of the most commonly planted herbs. The plant makes the perfect screen tree or an ideal patio container plant. It can grow in the full sun or in part shade. For outside the recommended USDA growing zones, Bay Laurel grow outdoors in the summer needs brought into a protected location during the winter months.
A slow to moderate growing tree, the dense canopy makes a great hedge to block out unwanted views. It can be easily held with pruning to almost any height or allowed to grow into a beautiful accent tree up to 25 feet tall. Bay Laurel is resistant to most pest and disease problems. This makes Bay Laurel a must for the organic garden. The occasional scale or mite problem can easily be sprayed off with high pressure water.
While most of the great forests are gone, lost to climate change, a few isolated remnants remain in locations around the mountains of Turkey, Syria and Spain as well as other small pockets. In the garden however, once established, the Bay Laurel is extremely drought tolerant and requires little in the way of extra care, besides pruning and extreme frost protection. When grown in containers, an application of citrus food four times a year, will keep the Bay Laurel healthy for years to come.
Laurus nobilis is considered a low water user and is recognized by the California Department of Water Resources, Water Use Classification of Landscape Species (WUCOLS) list. Meaning that once established it requires occasional water in the summer. Though in container growing it will require more regular watering. This plant is recommended for all drought tolerant and xeriscape landscape.
Bay Laurel is found on the Los Angeles Fire Department's list of fire-resistant plants and recommended be planted at least 20 feet from all structures and not to be planted under taller trees. Check with your local fire department to see if and how Laurus nobilis is recommended for your fire-safe Landscape.
