Bay Laurel
Best versatile evergreen for home cooks and low-maintenance garden enthusiasts.
The Bay Laurel (Laurus nobilis) is a versatile evergreen, celebrated for its aromatic, glossy dark green leaves, essential in culinary traditions. This plant can be cultivated as a dense shrub or a refined small tree, adapting beautifully to formal gardens, hedges, and containers. It thrives in full sun to partial shade, offering subtle chartreuse flowers in spring and plum purple berries on female plants in summer. Its adaptability to pruning makes it a favorite for shaping, while its low maintenance and pollinator-attracting qualities add to its appeal.
$49.99
Owner Satisfaction
4.6
/ 5
Category Rank
760
/ 3029
#760 in Landscaping & Garden Plants
Price vs Category Average
+81%
Above average
Mature Height
30
/ feet
Who it's for
- Urban dwellers with limited space needing versatile container plants
- Home cooks seeking fresh, aromatic ingredients for daily meals
- Gardeners designing formal landscapes or structured topiary displays
Who should skip it
- Residents in regions with harsh, freezing winter climates
- Gardeners who prefer low-maintenance plants without regular pest monitoring
- Impatient landscapers wanting immediate height or privacy screening
Performance breakdown
Culinary Utility
Fresh, aromatic leaves provide unmatched flavor for home cooking enthusiasts.
Pruning Versatility
Highly responsive to shaping for formal hedges or topiary designs.
Maintenance Ease
A resilient evergreen that thrives with minimal ongoing care requirements.
Pest Resistance
Reliably deters deer, keeping your garden landscape intact and healthy.
Container Adaptability
Perfectly suited for patio pots or smaller urban garden spaces.
Pollinator Impact
Supports local biodiversity by attracting essential bees and butterflies.
Key Specs
Mature Height
30 feet
Mature Width
20 feet
Growth Rate
Medium
Hardiness Zone
7
Evergreen
Watering Needs
Moderate
Soil Type
Well-Drained, Loamy, Sandy
Deer Resistant
True
Features
- Aromatic foliage for culinary use
- Glossy, dark green evergreen leaves
- Can be pruned to any shape
- Attracts bees and butterflies
- Deer resistant
- Suitable for container planting
- Low maintenance
- Pyramidal growth habit
What customers say
Customers consistently highlight the exceptional quality and health of the Bay Laurel plants received from Armstrong Garden Centers. Reviewers frequently note the robust root systems and vigorous growth, suggesting high reliability once planted. The plants arrive well packaged and thrive quickly, making them a dependable choice for both culinary gardens and ornamental landscaping. While the price point is sometimes noted as premium, the superior quality and successful establishment overwhelmingly justify the investment, leading to strong overall satisfaction.
Know before you buy
Yes, the leaves are aromatic and perfectly suited for culinary use. You can harvest them fresh or dried to add flavor to soups, stews, and sauces.
The Bay Laurel is very container-friendly. Because it responds well to pruning, you can easily manage its size and shape to suit a pot on a patio or balcony.
It is a low-maintenance plant that only requires moderate watering. Its growth rate is medium, so you will only need to prune it occasionally if you want to maintain a specific shape or size.
No, the Bay Laurel is considered deer resistant. Its aromatic foliage is generally unappealing to deer, making it a reliable choice for landscapes where wildlife pressure is a concern.
It is quite adaptable and will grow well in either full sun or partial shade. While it prefers consistent light, it is versatile enough to handle varying exposures in your garden.
When planted in the ground and left to grow naturally, it can reach a mature height of 30 feet and a width of 20 feet. However, you can keep it significantly smaller through regular pruning.
Still have a question?
Ask Hayley anything about this product before you decide.
Ready to buy?
$50