Laurus nobilis
Bay tree · also Bay laurel, Sweet bay, True laurel
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Laurus nobilis is an aromatic evergreen tree or large shrub with green, smooth leaves. It has a dense, bushy growth habit, making it suitable for hedges. This drought-tolerant tree thrives in well-drained soil and sunny locations, and its evergreen nature provides year-round greenery, making it a good choice for urban landscapes.
Where it grows
Trees in each city's inventory, with the share of that city's named trees this species accounts for.
- 1,0670.09%—2.3 in
- 89010.9%——
- 8470.63%15 yr3.0 in
- 3190.14%—4.5 in
- 1720.05%—4.7 in
- 1270.01%——
- 790.02%35 yr7.5 in
- 620.04%—1.9 in
- 530.02%—6.3 in
- 110.01%—8.0 in
Traits
- Foliage
- Evergreen
- Mature height
- 15–40 ft
- Canopy spread
- 15–30 ft
- Growth rate
- Moderate
- Sun
- Full sun
- Soil
- Well-drained
- Water needs
- Moderate
- Drought tolerance
- High
- Wildlife value
- Moderate
- Blooms
- Mar, Apr, May
Trunk diameters across every city: median 3.0 in, mean 4.8 in, 90th percentile 10 in. Measured at breast height, as published by each inventory.
Native range
Terrestrial ecoregions where this species is native. Trees in the dataset mostly stand well outside it.
Mediterranean Forests, Woodlands & Scrub
- Aegean and Western Turkey sclerophyllous and mixed forests
- Cyprus Mediterranean forests
Other Laurus in the catalogue
2 of the top 2,000 species are in this genus.
