Bay
Laurus nobilis
Also called Bay laurel and Sweet bay
Garden plant · Herbs, veg & fruitSlow, tough and long-lived. In a pot it wants a bigger one every third year, not more water.
Care at a glance
- Ease
- Medium
- Water
- Every 10 daysWater the ground — water at the base, in the morning, not over the leaves.
- Light
- Full sun to part shade
- Feed
- Every 60 days
- Humidity
- Average
- Hardiness
- Hardy — an average winter RHS H4, to -10°C
- Size
- 2 m tall · 1.2 m across
- Lifecycle
- Tree
- Origin
- Mediterranean
Is it safe for pets and people?
PetsToxic to pets
Affects dogs, cats, horses. Signs: vomiting and diarrhoea; swallowing a lot of whole leaves can block the gut.
PeopleNothing recorded against it
Safe to eat: leaves, as flavouring, removed before eating.
Checked against ASPCA and RHS on 2026-07-31.
A guide, not veterinary or medical advice. If a pet or a person has eaten a plant and you are worried, call your vet or doctor now — don’t wait for signs to appear. Spotted a mistake? Tell us.
First signs of trouble
- Leaf edges thicken and curl downward into a yellow, later brown, lip, with white waxy fluff tucked inside the curl.Bay sucker · pest
- Flat yellow-brown discs lined along the midrib on the leaf undersides, and a sticky varnish on the leaves below that later turns sooty black.Soft scale · pest