Hi everyone! Looking for expert guidance on long-term care and pruning for my bay leaf tree (Laurus nobilis). I purchased it as an “Ohio Grown Sweet Bay Laurel Herb – Laurus nobilis – 4" Pot” from 9GreenBox on Amazon (seller is gone and oddly it shipped from California). It has since grown into a ~6 ft potted tree.
Location: Anne Arundel County, Maryland — USDA Zone 7b
Plant Background
• Purchased mid-2020 as a small bay laurel in a 4” pot, sold as “Ohio Grown Sweet Bay Laurel” (9GreenBox), shipped from CA.
• Currently ~6 ft tall; has never been repotted in the 4+ years I’ve had it.
• Lives outdoors spring–fall, indoors winter.
• Outdoors: watered mostly by rain, unless there’s a prolonged dry spell.
• Indoors: placed near a bright door with frosted privacy film; receives partial natural light.
• Supplemental grow light: a small UV/LED unit, probably super undersized for the current size of the plant, run ~12 hrs/day.
• Winter watering: ceramic self-watering stake + wine bottle reservoir.
• Brought indoors a little late this year; added worm castings on top and cleared the root flare. Maybe 2 years ago I stuck a fertilizer stake or two in.
Current Questions / Concerns
• Is this a real Bay Laurel (Laurus nobilis)?
I’ve never sprayed it with anything, but also never fully committed to consuming the leaves. They look and smell mostly correct for fresh bay leaves, but I’d like confirmation.
• Should I prune a bay laurel at this time of year?
If so, how much should be removed, and what cuts are most optimal for structure and health?
• Is it viable outdoors through winter in Zone 7b?
From what I’ve read, the indicators aren’t great without heavy protection, microclimate sheltering, or a perfect spot. I have a few acres with dying pines, tulip poplars, and holly, but not really an ideal sunny, wind-protected area.
• If it can’t be planted outdoors:
After 4+ years in the same pot, should I move it to a larger container?
Or should I consider root pruning instead? (I have no experience with root pruning.)
Thanks in advance for any arborist-level insight — I’ve put a lot of passive love into this tree and want to make sure I’m caring for it correctly, although not sure how I will manage if it can never make it in the ground one day.
Note: The pot is a mess, it blew over and then I dumped like 2 quarts of worm castings around the thin layer of rock ontop, and watered it in. Will clean up later (remove rocks?).
by Human-Friendship-405
2 Comments
As a Californian the only bay laurel I recognize is *Umbellularia californica*
Yea, reason number 226 not to order plants from amazon. You just can never trust that you are getting what you think you are getting. That’s why I now only buy plants in person or from a reputable source.
I’m not an expert and the only bay laurels I’ve seen are the tree that I have growing in pots. The leaves look right, but I find it strange how much distance is between most of the leaves. I would have guessed that was from the lack of light, but you said you keep it outdoors for most of the year. But that could be just because the canopy on mine is so much denser than yours because I prune it pretty regularly.
I’ve had pretty good luck repotting them in the spring once the trees have had a chance to start growing again. I usually cut off any roots that form a mat on the bottom as well as ones that hit the side of the pot and start traveling in circles. Other than that, I try to go fairly easy on the roots as sometimes they tend to sulk after being repotted. I usually try to remove almost all the old soil when I repot, but I don’t wash them and I don’t remove ALL the old soil. I try to use something very well draining. I used to just use regular potting soil with a ton of extra perlite, but I’ve been switching most of my fruit trees into a mix called 511 which is a fir bark based mix.
As for pruning, I’d wait until spring. I’ve never tried pruning them in the middle of the winter and I wouldn’t want to zap any of it’s energy it might need for surviving the winter. That being said, I DO think you should prune it this spring! It’s getting extremely large and I find it hard to care for plants that big!
Lol, if you can get it more compact than it would help a LOT with lighting. As it stands that grow light isn’t doing much at all. If you had a more compact tree, you could get that light MUCH closer so that it could actually help the tree.
I wouldn’t plant it in the ground. I’m one zone colder than you and I’m pretty sure my winters are WAY to cold for them to survive. Personally I bring mine indoors when it starts going below about 25f or so.
I’m a bit jealous of your trunk though! Mine are about a year younger than yours, but the trunks are MUCH skinnier! Anyway, here’s one of mine. I think I got it in 2021.
[https://i.imgur.com/QTte5OU.jpeg](https://i.imgur.com/QTte5OU.jpeg)