Never Run out of Bay Leaves Again: Grow a Bay Tree in a Pot

We’ve all been there: you’re prepping dinner, you open your spice cabinet, and realize with dismay that you’re out of bay leaves, the unsung hero of delicious soups and stews! Don’t settle for this situation, or even for the dry, tasteless leaves that have been sitting on grocery store shelves for who knows how long. Instead, grow a bay tree in a pot and never run out of bay leaves ever again!

The first tree I bought for my balcony was a Mediterranean bay laurel (laurus nobilis) and I have zero regrets. The subtle yet spicy, earthy, sweet leaves have a myriad of uses, while the tree adds evergreen structure and a certain gravitas. Plus, it’s an absolute dream to grow and care for in a pot. Here’s how to do it.

Choosing your bay-bay at the nursery

Before you head to the nursery to adopt your bay, decide which species you want. While there are multiple species of bay trees throughout the U.S., California bay (Umbellularis californica) looks and tastes so similar to the Mediterranean version that their leaves are sometimes commercially sold interchangeably.

You might consider the California bay. We come across them all the time hiking the East Bay hills; my husband sticks the long, skinny leaves under the bridge of his glasses like a beak for some impromptu, fragrant sun protection. I would love a native tree on my balcony that both flavors my food and feeds local wildlife.

But when I first started gardening, I wasn’t as aware of the benefits of native plants, so I chose the Mediterranean version, seduced by their ancient cachet. How do the two species differ? The California bay leaves have a spicier and, some say, harsher flavor. The Mediterranean leaves are slightly more oval-shaped, and it does not produce fruit on its own; it has either male or female sex organs (don’t ask me to sex my tree, I’m not there yet in my acquisition of botanical knowledge).

And, importantly, I can’t vouch for how well California bay would do in a container, while my Mediterranean bay has been happily inhabiting the same pot for nearly three years without any problems. For that reason, the rest of this post contains advice pertaining to the Mediterranean bay laurel (laurus nobilis).

What size you choose depends on your budget, space, and patience. I confess to splurging on a slightly larger tree, like a 3-gallon size, so that I could enjoy its full glory immediately rather than waiting years for it to develop. However, I’ve seen bay trees sold as cute little seedlings, and they’re so hardy and easy to grow that I bet you could save a lot of money by starting out with a tiny bay-bay rather than being impatient like me.

Potting your bay tree

Choose a pot that is only slightly larger than the nursery pot it comes in so that the roots have some room to expand, but not too much. Like many Mediterranean plants, bay trees don’t mind a little restriction and they love free-draining soil, so select a pot with ample drainage holes. I like to use half regular organic potting mix and half cactus/succulent mix for all my Mediterranean plants.

As I confessed above, I have not repotted my bay tree once in three years. It probably needs to be re-potted right about now. I will keep an eye on it this growing season for signs of distress (yellowing leaves, roots sticking out of the bottom) to see if the time has come. If it has, I’m in trouble because I don’t own a larger pot!

Caring for your bay tree in a pot: Sun, watering, fertilizing, and pruning

How have I gotten away with keeping a tree in the same pot for three years? Through paying attention to its needs.

In my experience, having moved mine around quite a lot (it’s been through three moves, plus my constant rearranging), a bay tree in a pot can handle a variety of light conditions. Mine has done well in full sun and part shade. Some of the leaves got burned during a heat wave last summer, so some shade is likely best.

When you water your bay, really soak it. In the warmer months, I use the entire contents of a one-gallon watering can. Wait to water it again until the soil is completely dry. In my case, that’s about once a week in the summer and every other week in the winter. You can check by sticking your whole index finger into the soil; if the tip of your finger is damp, wait.

Once, my bay tree developed a sucker. A sucker is growth that comes from the tree’s root system; rather than originating from the trunk or a branch, a sucker comes all the way from the base of the plant. A sucker means your tree’s needs aren’t being met. I suspected I wasn’t watering it enough; I removed that sucker (which you want to do promptly, as it literally sucks up all the plant’s energy), started watering it more deeply, and never saw another sucker again.

After a year or so in a pot, any tree will deplete the soil mix and need a little boost. With my bay, I’ve gotten good results from mulching the pot once a year with compost, keeping a ring around the base of the tree clear, and giving it a liquid feed of fish fertilizer once a month or so during the growing season. Since its foliage you’re after in a bay tree, a nitrogen-rich option is the way to go. I don’t fertilize it at all between October and February to give it a nice winter’s rest.

Note: if you live in an area with frost, you will need to bring your potted bay indoors for the colder months.

Along with promptly cutting off any suckers, you’ll want to trim your bay tree when it starts to look overgrown. As a general rule, light and air are the best antidotes to mold and other diseases. Plus, pruning will keep your bay to a manageable size; important for a potted balcony tree!

Once or twice a year, I prune out branches and leaves that are crowding the base and center of the plant. I aim for a sort of open goblet shape and try not to be overzealous. If you prune in the spring, it will encourage new growth; if you do it at the end of summer, it will keep your plant nice and tidy through the fall and winter.

Harvesting bay leaves

Pruning is one way to harvest your leaves! You will have tons to give away to friends, family, and neighbors. If you really have a surplus, you can rinse the leaves and let them dry out completely in the sun or a similarly arid location. Once they are brittle to the touch, you can store them in clean, dry jars and use for up to several months. In case you can’t tell, the keyword here is dry. No one wants moldy leaves.

Otherwise, every time a recipe calls for bay leaves, simply follow these very complex instructions: 1) go outside with a pair of scissor or snips; 2) cut off a bay leaf or two; 3) add leaves to your dish. Amazing, right?!

Note that the dried leaves do have a slightly punchier flavor, up to a certain point. After a while their flavor will start to fade. I enjoy the subtlety of the fresh leaves, but sometimes I’ll snip off a small branch and keep it handy in my kitchen for the next couple of weeks. As the leaves dry, their flavor intensifies.

5 ways to enjoy your bay!

Once you have unfettered access to bay leaves for the rest of your life thanks to the thriving little tree on your balcony, you’ll find yourself throwing them into everything! Keep in mind you cannot actually eat bay leaves; they’re not poisonous or anything, but they’re too tough to be palatable or digestible. Use them to infuse your food with flavor, and then discard.

Need some inspiration? Here are just a few ideas:

1. Along with the usual aromatics, add them to homemade chicken, beef, pork, or vegetable broth
2. Add them to the pot when cooking dried beans. If you struggle with legumes, some say the enzymes in bay leaves aids digestion!
3. Use them to flavor soups and stews. They work in a variety of cuisines from regions that border the Mediterranean, like Italian, Moroccan, Greek, etc.
4. One time I had this heavenly bay leaf-infused panna cotta-like dessert from Sister, a local pizzeria. I didn’t ask for the recipe, but I found this one if you want to try it out.
5. Lastly, a non-culinary suggestion: if, like me, you live in a wildfire-prone area, you can boil bay leaves in a large pot of water to purify the air on smoky days.

Cheers to your new life of infinite bay leaves, however you choose to use them!