Hardiness zones
Sunset 5-9, 12-24
USDA 8 - 11

Landscape Use: Background, screen, espalier, medicinal and culinary herb

Form & Character: Seldom seen evergreen large shrub to tree, formal, stiff, dense, often cone-like in form

Growth Habit: Very slow to establish, eventually upright, 12-40' in height depending on site conditions and water availability.

Foliage/Texture: Strongly aromatic, oval to elliptic leaves, thick and leathery to 3-4" long, tapering to a acuminate tip; medium texture

Flowers & Fruits: Small yellowish axillary flowers, fruit are 1/2 to 1" long drupes, black when ripe

Seasonal Color: None of significance

Temperature: Struggles with the intense summer heat when temperatures rise above 105^oF

Light: Partial sun (best in Phoenix) to full sun and western exposures; eastern exposures best.

Soil: Tolerant of all but most alkaline local soils

Watering: Regular

Pruning: To shape, dependent on use. can be clipped into formal shapes.

Propagation: Cutting, seed

Disease and pests: None

Additional comments: This is the cooking herb. A spicy, aromatic flavoring, bay leaves are commonly used as a flavoring for soups, stews etc and form an essential ingredient of the herb mix 'Bouquet Garni'. The leaves can be used fresh or are harvested in the summer and dried. The flavor of freshly dried, crushed or shredded leaves is stronger than fresh leaves, but the leaves should not be stored for longer than a year since they will then lose their flavor. The dried fruit is used as a flavoring. The dried leaves are brewed into a herbal tea.