Laurus nobilis

Laurus nobilis

Common name: bay laurel, true laurel

Family: Lauraceae

Leaf: undulating leaf marfin, elliptic to oval, evergreen, lustrous, leathery, thick, 2-4' long, dark green with yellow midrib, leaves having an upright posture

Flower: Dioecious (seperate male and female trees), small, yellow-green, bloom in spring

Fruit: single-seeded purple black berries

Height: 10-30'; Spread: 5-20'

Habit: evergreen tree or large shrub, Form: Oval when young, pyramidal at maturity

Culture: Winter hardy to USDA zones 8-10. It is best grown in rich, fertile, well drained soils in full sun to part shade. Good tolerance of drier soils once established. Anywhere north of these zones, it still can be grown indoors as a house plant in a container. Bring containers out in the summer to a slightly shaded location, and bring them in in the fall, indoors to a sunny location. Can be easily shaped, pruned, clipped or sheared to a desired shape. Can even be coppiced down, and will grow back. Needs a protected location in British Columbia because of the sometimes cold temperatures in the winter.

Uses: as a hedge, screen, individual specimen, in an herb garden. Excellent as a house plant. Can take some shade.