Laurus Nobilis Standard Bay Tree
Laurus Nobilis Standard Bay Tree, tender?
Prompted to feature the Bay tree after watching Monty Don on Gardeners World last week
The leaves on Monty Don’s Bay trees in his Herefordshire garden had turned completely brown due to the very severe frost.
In our garden
Well, I am certainly no expert like Monty, but how ironic. Here we are about 400 miles further North in Fife Scotland and guess what the Standard Bay tree has come through the Winter pretty much unscathed.
I won’t pretend that I don’t know the reason behind this. It’s all to do with the fact that we are right on the coast where Winter temperatures do not drop quite so low. Monty mentioned temperature dropping to minus 15c, the lowest we recorded was minus 6c. Monty, I would gladly swap Winter temps for some of the heat you get in Summer.
I planted our Bay Standard in a pot in April of 2017. It sat there in our courtyard until February of this year. I then decided to make a proper border in the courtyard. I removed the Bay from the pot and it is looking much better planted in the ground.
Plant description
Laurus Nobilis Bay tree is evergreen, aromatic and the leaves are used for adding flavour to soups, stews and curries.
Yellow flowers in Spring add extra interest. I am not expecting ours to flower this far North, I will add a picture if it does.
Laurus Nobilis is used for hedging and should be trimmed in Spring or Summer.
Instead of the usual box lollipops, the standard bay can look great placed on either side of the front door.
• Hardiness – hardy down to minus 5c
• Height – grown as a hedge it can reach in excess of 2.5metres, can be kept shorter
• Position – full sun/part shade
• Soil – any reasonable garden soil, if growing in a pot use John Innes No. 2
• Common name – sweet bay
Is this a comment or an enhancement of my post.
The Laurus nobilis Standard, commonly known as the Bay Tree, is a popular and versatile ornamental plant. With its glossy, aromatic leaves and a classic, symmetrical shape, it’s often cultivated as a topiary or standard. This evergreen tree is known for its culinary uses, as its leaves add a distinctive flavor to various dishes. The Laurus nobilis Standard is an attractive addition to gardens, patios, or entrances, providing both aesthetic appeal and practicality in the kitchen. With proper care, including well-drained soil and regular pruning to maintain its shape, this Bay Tree can thrive in a variety of settings, offering beauty and functionality in one elegant package.
They never survived when I was in Aberdeen. Here in the East coast of Fife the Bay is thriving in a sheltered spot.
Alistair,
We lived in the |Cotswolds before moving here to Scotland and there on the top of the Oxfordshire Cotswolds I grew, from a supermarket final reduction plant a magnificent bay tree. It reached about 10 feet tall and supplied all te bay leaves we ever needed. When I enqyired atthe local garden centre about taking north with us I was told not to bother a it would not survive the first winter! I am now going to try in thr polytunnel we have bought as the tunnel is over 7′ tall at the ridge: Will keep you posted!
Hi Sunil, the majority of shrubs and plants do better in the border, always exceptions like Hostas, they are brilliant in tubs.
Hello Alistair, we have two bay shrubs that we bought at the same time, we planted one and it’s now far larger than the one we have in a pot. We do have some wind scorch on our bay but nothing like what Monty experienced, ours are still essentially all green. I’m not sure what our minimum temperature was but I’m sure it wasn’t as bad as -15C, we are much further south that you and Monty.
Indie, it is nice to have Bay in the garden. It does amuse me to think that this raw miserable climate is in fact temperate.
How lovely! It is sadly too cold here for such a tree. I’m sure it smells so nicely though!
Hi Pam, when we first arrived here in Fife I spotted a couple of these Bay trees in a neighbouring garden. I spoke to the homeowners as to how I was surprised at seeing Bay, she said it had been in her garden for a number of years. Aberdeen 100 miles further North, in spite of being coastal, Bay would not be likely to survive.
Hi Nadezda, here in Scotland we do nothing but moan about the weather.
Hello, Alistair!
You’re undoubtedly successful gardener, because Laurus nobilis is a tender tree. I liked how it looks near your fence, has many new growths. It’s a pity that we here have less than – 5 C in winter, I’d love to have this tree as well.
Have a nice week!
I love the smell of sweet bay. My daughter has a hedge in her New Jersey garden — a little warmer there than here. I’m not sure if it would survive a Pocono Mountain winter. I love your idea of placing the trees either side of the front door.
Hello Joy, Ice storms do indeed sound horrendous, you certainly would not want to be caught outdoors in one. Good luck with your Hydrangea, can’t recall seeing a standard.
I would so love to have this in my garden but that is truly day dreaming on my part .. we are in a ice storm warning at the moment as I listen to said ice pellets hitting the windows .. this is very bad and it could be the remake of Ice Storm 1998 which was horrendous.
But I digress .. Alistair this is a gorgeous standard and to have fresh bay leaves on hand ? now that is perfection from the garden indeed ! You are a very lucky fellow gardener !
Joy : )
PS .. I have to move my Pink Diamond hydrangea standard and I am worried .. fingers crossed.