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Herb

Bay tree

Laurus nobilis · also Sweet bay, Bay laurel

A slow-growing Mediterranean evergreen whose leaves flavour soups, stocks and stews. It suits Adelaide well: it handles hot, dry summers, wet winters and light frost. Grow it in a large pot or clip it as a hedge to keep it from reaching 8 m.

When to plant where you live

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Planting times for other areas

Varieties (2)

  • Golden bay ('Aurea')Yellow-green leaves; same culinary use; less often stocked
  • Sweet bay (common form)The usual nursery plant, also sold as clipped standards and topiary

Neighbours

Grows well with

From seed to plate

  1. Plant

    300 cm apart. Full sun or part shade.

  2. Water

    Deep water until established, then sparingly.

  3. Feed

    Slow-release feed in spring.

  4. Pick

    Pick mature leaves any time.

Good to know

  • Repot potted bays in spring into a pot one size up
  • Prune and harvest regularly to keep it compact
  • Dry leaves flat in the shade and store them airtight
  • Remove whole leaves from food before serving

Common problems

  • Scale and sooty mouldcontrol ants and use horticultural oil following label directions
  • Yellow leaves in a potoften pot-bound; trim the root ball and repot in spring
  • Leggy growth in deep shademove to more sun or cut back hard in spring

If you use a garden chemical, follow the label exactly. Try organic options first, and ask the community or Plant Doctor if you're unsure.

Ask the garden helper about bay treeAny question, answered from the plant libraryHow others are growing bay treeQuestions, tips and harvests from the community

Safety: ASPCA lists bay laurel as toxic to dogs, cats and horses (essential oils such as eugenol); vomiting and diarrhoea, and large amounts of whole leaves can block the gut. Whole dried leaves are a choking hazard.

Where this information comes from

Reviewed by AI cross-check (Claude), not a horticulturist on 29 Oct 2026. Version 1.