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  • AGM plants

    AGM plants have been through a rigorous trial and assessment programme. They are:

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    • Available to buy
    • Of good constitution
    • Essentially stable in form & colour
    • Reasonably resistant to pests & diseases
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Laurus nobilis

bay tree

AGM plants

AGM plants have been through a rigorous trial and assessment programme. They are:

  • Excellent for ordinary use in appropriate conditions
  • Available to buy
  • Of good constitution
  • Essentially stable in form & colour
  • Reasonably resistant to pests & diseases
RHS Plant Shop from £7.99 Sold by 83 nurseries

  • Other common names bay tree
    bay laurel

    bay
    poet's laurel
    Roman laurel
    royal bay
    sweet bay
    true laurel
    victor's laurel

    see more

  • Family Lauraceae

  • Genus Laurus are dioecious evergreen trees or large shrubs, with leathery aromatic leaves, and small yellow flowers followed on female plants by black berries

  • Details L. nobilis is a large, erect evergreen shrub with aromatic, narrowly ovate, leathery leaves useful in cooking. Flowers small, pale greenish-yellow, in dense clusters; fruit oval, glossy black when ripe

  • Plant range S Europe

Characteristics

  • Foliage Evergreen

  • Habit Bushy

  • Fragrance Foliage

  • Hardiness

    Hardiness ratings

    All ratings refer to the UK growing conditions unless otherwise stated. Minimum temperature ranges (in degrees C) are shown in brackets

    • H1a - Under glass all year (>15C)
    • H1b - Can be grown outside in the summer (10 - 15)
    • H1c - Can be grown outside in the summer (5 - 10)
    • H2 - Tolerant of low temperatures, but not surviving being frozen (1 to 5)
    • H3 - Hardy in coastal and relatively mild parts of the UK (-5 to 1)
    • H4 - Hardy through most of the UK (-10 to -5)
    • H5 - Hardy in most places throughout the UK even in severe winters (-15 to -10)
    • H6 - Hardy in all of UK and northern Europe (-20 to -15)
    • H7 - Hardy in the severest European continental climates (< -20)

    H4

Colour

Sunlight

  • Full Sun

  • Partial Shade

  • Aspect South-facing or North-facing or West-facing or East-facing

  • Exposure Exposed or Sheltered

Soil

  • Chalk

    Chalk

  • Clay

    Clay

  • Loam

    Loam

  • Sand

    Sand

  • MoistureWell-drained

  • SoilChalk, Clay, Loam, Sand

  • pHAcid, Alkaline, Neutral

Size

  • Ultimate height 8-12 metres

  • Ultimate spread wider than 8 metres

  • Time to ultimate height 20-50 years

How to grow

Cultivation Grows well in a container. Prefers a well-drained soil in sun or partial shade

Propagation Propagate by seed or semi-hardwood cuttings

Suggested planting locations and garden types Hedging & Screens Low Maintenance Coastal

How to care

Pruning Pruning group 1

Pests Can get bay sucker, horse chestnut scale, soft scale and tortrix moth

Diseases Powdery mildews and a leaf spot may be a problem

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RHS Plants Shop

Laurus nobilis

bay tree

Buy from £7.99 at the RHS Plants Shop

Buy from £7.99 at the RHS Plants Shop

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