What soil does Bay laurel grow in?

It tolerates these soils: average garden soil, sandy, clay.

Hardy down to -10 °C (USDA zone 8, RHS H4). Outdoors in this country it only survives with winter protection, or in a pot overwintered frost-free.

Is Bay laurel toxic to children?

Yes, it is mildly toxic to children.

How far from the house should Bay laurel be planted?

Plant it at least 1 m from buildings. Keep it at least 0.5 m from paving.

When does Bay laurel flower?

Flowering: March–May, yellow.

How much water does Bay laurel need?

Water need: medium. Drought tolerance: medium.

How much does Bay laurel cost?

It sells for roughly HUF 3,300 to HUF 17,000 in local shops, depending on size.

What should I plant instead of Bay laurel?

We do not recommend it for most Central European gardens. For a similar purpose we recommend: Holly osmanthus, Heavenly bamboo, Irish juniper, Irish yew.

Bay laurel

Laurus nobilis

Bay laurel (Laurus nobilis) is a shrub. Light: full sun, part shade. Hardy down to -10 °C. Drought tolerance: medium. Toxic to dogs and cats, mildly toxic to children. Sold in local shops from about HUF 3,300. We do not recommend it for most Central European gardens.

Illustration of Bay laurel — An illustration of the typical shape of the mature plant, not a photo.

What it's good for, and what it isn't

Not reliably hardy in Central Europe, so it is best kept in a pot: an evergreen kitchen herb with aromatic leaves you can pick all year round. It grows slowly and takes clipping very well, so it can be trained as a ball-headed standard, a cone or a pyramid; shape it with secateurs, because shears slice the leaves in half and the cut edges turn brown. In summer it is happy in sun or part shade; before the first autumn frosts move it somewhere bright and cool (roughly 0 to 10 °C), water only now and then in winter, and put it out again after the spring frosts. It is toxic to dogs and cats.

We do not recommend this plant

We do not recommend it for most Central European gardens. Further down we show what to plant instead.

Watch out for

In Central Europe hard frost and cold, dry wind scorch the foliage, and a root ball that freezes through in its pot can kill the whole plant, so it needs cool, frost-free overwintering; standing water in winter rots the roots. Scale insects are the most common pest, especially during the months indoors: sooty mould grows on their honeydew and coats the leaves black. Mealybugs, spider mites and bay sucker, which thickens, curls and yellows the leaves at the shoot tips, also occur. Leaf spot and powdery mildew show up now and then.

Key facts

Light: Full sun, Part shade
Water need: Medium
Care: Medium
Size after 10 years: 1.5 m × 80 cm
Hardiness: down to -10 °C
Foliage: Evergreen
Flowering: J F M A M J J A S O N D March–May, yellow

Group	Shrub
Light	Full sun, Part shade
Size after 10 years	1.5 m × 80 cm
Ultimate size	1.5–3 m × 1–2 m
Hardiness	down to -10 °C (USDA 8, RHS H4)
Soil	Average garden soil, Sandy, Clay
Foliage	Evergreen
Flowering	March–May, yellow
Water need	Medium
Drought tolerance	Medium
Maintenance	Medium
Root aggressiveness	Low
Suckering	no
Spreading	Low
Distance from buildings	at least 1 m
Distance from paving	at least 0.5 m
Litter	not typical
Planting distance	100 cm
For dogs	Toxic
For cats	Toxic
For children	Mildly toxic
Typical price	from about HUF 3,300

Toxicity data is for information only. If your pet or child has eaten a plant, contact a vet or a doctor.

What to plant instead

Recommended plants that do the same job, with similar characteristics.

Holly osmanthus

Osmanthus heterophyllus 2 m × 1.5 m after 10 years

An evergreen shrub with glossy, dark green, spiny leaves that look like holly, bearing tiny white flowers in autumn whose scent carries a long way…

Shrub

Full sun

Part shade

from about HUF 1,500

Heavenly bamboo

Nandina domestica 1.5 m × 1 m after 10 years

An upright, cane-forming evergreen shrub that looks a little like bamboo, with finely divided leaves that flush red in spring and again from autumn…

Shrub

Full sun

Part shade

from about HUF 4,000

Irish juniper

Juniperus communis 'Hibernica' 2 m × 50 cm after 10 years

A dense, blue-green needled column that grows slowly, so it stays in proportion for years even in a small garden or rock garden. It is happiest in sun…

Shrub

Full sun

Part shade

from about HUF 8,300