Laurus nobilis

bay laurel (½ standard)

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½ std (30cm head) £59.99
within 4 weeks
pair of ½ standards £89.98
within 4 weeks
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Buy Laurus nobilis bay laurel (½ standard): Perfect for that classic look

    The photos on this page shows the plant with gift wrap. This is not included in the price, however you may add gift wrap (for an additional charge of £4.95) during the order process. If not gift wrapped, the plant will be delivered in a black plastic pot (not the green ones pictured).

  • Position: full sun or partial shade
  • Soil: fertile, moist but well-drained soil
  • Rate of growth: slow-growing
  • Flowering period: March to May
  • Hardiness: frost hardy (needs winter protection)

    With its lustrous, dark green leaves, this evergreen bay laurel standard makes an elegant centrepiece for a formal vegetable garden or potager, or planted in a smart contemporary pot either side of a doorway, will frame an entrance. Clippings of the aromatic leaves are valuable, fresh or dried, for flavouring savoury stocks and sauces. It is pretty tolerant of most conditions, provided it is sheltered from strong, cold winds, and is not kept too wet in winter.

  • Garden care: Keep well-watered during the growing season and feed with a slow-release fertiliser. Clip established plants lightly twice during the summer months to retain a balanced shape, using secateurs not shears.

  • Size Guide
    ½ standard plants have a 45-50cm clear stem beneath a 30cm head
    ¾ standard plants have a 65-70cm clear stem beneath a 50cm head
    2 sizes of Standard plants have a 1m clear stem beneath either a 55 or 65cm head

    Supplied in a plastic pot they are suitable for potting in to terracotta pot or wooden planter to makethem look a feature on patios or outside your door

Delivery options
  • Standard £4.99
  • Click & collect FREE
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Notes on Laurus nobilis

"Highly aromatic sweet bay for culinary use, or for tight topiary - to recreate the Roman villa look in warm courtyards. Or leave it form a natural pyramid and just enjoy the spring flowers -like the bees"

Great product, with good shape

5

A much better choice than the usual golden privet or box that you see a lot of people buy. Hardier and generally healthier

Chris FC

Edinburgh

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Beautiful plant, arrived in excellent condition, very happy

5

This product was bought as a gift for my sister who was delighted. It was delivered on time and very well packaged. When I saw it I was jealous, as it was better than mine which I had received from another source!

Elaine, the Garden helper

Winchester

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Size and delivery as promised classic look

5

The Bay arrived planted in two pots the front door looked so different all in ten minutes.

Old biddy

Knutsford Cheshire

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Laurus nobilis

5.0 3

100.0

I'm just starting off a vegetable garden in raised beds and have a central bed 1.2m square and 45cm deep in which I intend to grow herbs (parsley, sage, thyme, oregano, chives). I would like to grow a half standard bay in the centre of this bed, but am concerned about it eventually growing too big and overshadowing the other raised beds which are arranged quite closely around it. I'm wondering if I should plant the bay still in its pot to restrict the roots, or am I worrying unnecessarily? Thanks.

Elaine

Hello, You are right to be concerned and bay trees can get very large if left to their own devices, and large plants (particularly those with a dense crown like this one) do cast lots of shade. Also, as the other herbs you want to grow all like a really sunny spot, you would be better not mixing the two - or at least plant it in a pot nearby where you can restrict its size.

Helen

Plant advice for 2 new beds please Hello, I need some help to decide which plants to put into two new areas please:- 1: A semi-circle flash bed at the front of the house, size approx 2m x 0.80m and 0.80m deep. I thought about the 3 following options for a small tree/bush in the middle:- a) Magnolia soulangeana, but I was worried about the size that it could grow to and possible problems with roots etc . Will it stay small if the size of the container is used to restrict it? b) Witch Hazel (Hamamelis intermediana 'Diane'). Will it spread too much? I think this is very pretty. c) Corylus avellana 'contorta' Then I also need to think about ground cover plants to help suppress weeds. I am only interested in fully hardy, easy to look after plants, could be with some flowers or coloured leaves. 2:- A thin path between neighbours (approx 2m x 0.40). My idea is to plant bamboo. I would love a modern thin run of bamboo with ground cover. My worry is which bamboos to use. I love the yellow, like Phyllostychys aureocaulis (Golden Grove) but not sure if it is strong enough as it could be exposed to some wind. I bought from you a couple of years ago the Phyllostychys aureosulcata 'Spectabilis' which I planted in pots but it died this year. I see on your website some other bamboos but I don't like them as much as their canes seems less exposed and have a lot more foliage. But possibly these would be a better alternative... ...? For the ground cover I as thinking of Ophiopogen nigrescen. Do you think these plants will be suitable, or have you any other suggestions? Thank you for your help, Galia

e moran

Hello Galia, All of the taller shrubs you mentioned for the semi-circular bed will get quite large, but their growth will be restricted (both in height and spread) if they are kept in a pot where their roots are restricted. For groundcover you could opt for any of the following:- Bergenia http://www.crocus.co.uk/search/_/search.bergenia/ Helleborus http://www.crocus.co.uk/search/_/search.helleborus/ Heuchera http://www.crocus.co.uk/search/_/search.heuchera/ Epimedium http://www.crocus.co.uk/search/_/search.epimedium/ Geranium http://www.crocus.co.uk/search/_/search.geranium/ Erica http://www.crocus.co.uk/search/_/search.erica/ As for the bamboos, even the most well behaved one (Fargesia murieliae) will spread to around 1.5m across so you should keep this in mind when planting it in such a confined space. Perhaps a better option would be one of our hedging plants, which can be cut back hard against the wall. Taxus http://www.crocus.co.uk/plants/_/shrubs/trees/hedging/conifer/bigger-trees/best-in-very-large-gardens-parks/taxus-baccata-/classid.6230/ or Ligustrum http://www.crocus.co.uk/plants/_/shrubs/hedging/ligustrum-ovalifolium-/classid.4093/ would be good options. I hope this helps. Helen Plant Doctor

Crocus Helpdesk

Can a Bay Tree be kept indoors? Could you please advise whether I would be able to keep a bay tree indoors. The room is large and has a high glass roof which opens for ventilation. Thank you Muriel

Muriel Hall

Hello Muriel, I'm afraid these plants are not suitable for using indoors for any length of time. I'm sorry not to be more help. Helen Plant Doctor

Crocus Helpdesk

Is it still ok to be cutting back herbaceous perennials, Lavender and Caryopteris late in the year? Dear Crocus, I didn't have time to cut back to ground level all my herbaceous perennial plants and some shrubs in the autumn, due to work and family commitments. It's difficult to get out into the garden just now as I only have a little time at the weekend. Would it be too late for me to cut everything back still between now in December and the end of February e.g hardy Geraniums, Hostas,etc. and shrubs like Lavenders and Caryopteris? I really would appreciate your advice. Many thanks Pamela

Pamela Spiers

Hi Helen, Thank you for your helpful information. The snow made the decision for me, it has lain for 4 weeks now. Kind Regards Pamela

Pamela Spiers

Hello Pamela, You can do the herbaceous perennials anytime between now and spring, but the Caryopteris and Lavenders should be tackled in spring. I hope this helps. Helen Plant Doctor

Crocus Helpdesk

Bay Tree's leaves going yellow? Hi, Please can you help me. We have a Bay tree growing in a pot that has been very happily doing so for the past few years, however this year we have noticed that we have a lot of yellow leaves. It's definitely not a bug infestation as the leaves are not curled at all Could you please give us some advice on how to deal with this problem. Thank you for any help that you can give us. Kind regards Pat

Pat Liggins

Hello Pat, The yellowing leaves could be caused by a number of things including too much or too little water or nutrients, or it may simply need to be moved into a larger pot. I'm afraid I have not been able to pinpoint the exact cause of your plants problems, but I'm confident that if you can improve the growing conditions, you should see an improvement when it puts on new growth next spring. I hope this helps. Helen Plant Doctor

Crocus Helpdesk

Plants for outside my front door Hi Crocus I live in a flat and have pots outside my external front door. What plants can I grow in pots, in semi shade that will attract the bees? Thank you for your help. Kind regards Guy

Guy Smith

Hello Guy, The following plants would be suitable for your pots. Forget-me-not (Myosotis species) Bellflowers (Campanula species) Cranesbill (Geranium species) Dahlia - single-flowered species and cultivars Hellebores (Helleborus species) Japanese anemone (Anemone ?? hybrida) Fritillaries (Fritillaria species) Grape hyacinth (Muscari species) Hyacinth (Hyacinthus orientalis) Siberian squill (Scilla siberica) Winter aconite (Eranthis hyemalis) Box (Buxus sempervirens) Christmas box (Sarcococca species) I hope this helps, Helen Plant Doctor

Crocus Helpdesk

Mature 'lollipop' Bay Tree repotting Hi, I have a "lollipop" bay tree which is about 10 years old. In the past I have re-potted it - last time 3-4 years ago in a ceramic, quite deep pot. It has been growing quite well early on in the season this year, but now it has lots of yellow and falling leaves. I was thinking that I would pick off all the damaged leaves, give it a good feed of Miracle-gro and see if it recovers. Or do you think I should re-pot it? Any advice would be greatly appreciated Ann

Ann Mann

Hello Ann, I think it is probably due to be re-potted now, so I would do this, but check on the compost bag about feeding as most composts already have fertiliser added. Generally a good shake will dislodge all the yellow leaves and once done the plant will look a lot neater. I hope this helps. Helen Plant Doctor

Ann Mann

What is wrong with my bay trees? I have some standard bay trees and have noticed that from about half way down the trunk to the ground he bark seems to be peeling off. Any ideas? Kind regards Annie

Jacqui Dennis

Hello Annie, This sometimes happens after cold winters, but it is still a bit of a mystery as to what causes it. The general belief is that is is caused by stress - from freezing temperatures or irregular watering. The good news is that it is rarely fatal, especially if the rest of the plant looks happy and healthy. If however the top growth has died back, then this should be removed, cutting back into healthy wood. I'm afraid it will ruin the shape of your standard, but the plant may send up new shoots.

Crocus Helpdesk

Help potting on bay trees Hi, want to replant my standard Bay trees into larger pots as I think they might be a little pot bound - are there any do's or don'ts? I have 2, and in addition 1 of them appears to be not quite as green as the other, and both have been nibbled by something! I would be most grateful for your advice. Cheers Jane

Jane Robinson

Hello Jane, The best time to pot them up is in spring or autumn, but you can do it carefully at any time using John Innes No 2 or 3 compost. The discolouration of the foliage is probably caused by a watering problem, so make sure that they are watered regularly and that any excess water can drain away freely and feed them with a good general-purpose fertiliser during the growing season. The nibbled bits could be caused by caterpillars or more worryingly Vine Weevil adults, so keep your eyes peeled for these.

Crocus Helpdesk

Soil types Help please! I am now mostly bed bound / house bound and so chasing problems can be a problem in itself. I managed to get a large Bay tree about 2 years ago for my foyer area. It was transplanted into a large pot at the same time as my Blueberry plants and the information said ericaceous soil for both plants. Can you confirm what soil type a bay tree needs please as at the back of my mind I wonder if I have used the right soil? Thank you in advance, Kind regards, Peter

Peter Randle

Hello Peter, The Bay tree can be potted up into either John Innes No 2 or ericaceous compost so I would not be too concerned about it. I hope this helps. Helen Plant Doctor

Crocus Helpdesk

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