Bay trees are valuable evergreen shrubs that UK households adore for their ornamental and culinary benefits. Lauris Nobilis, commonly known as Bay Trees, can be trained and grown in many forms to use in various locations in the garden. Bay trees left untrained will naturally form bushy shrubs up to 3 meters wide and 7 meters tall fifteen years after planting.
You can control the final height and spread of these beautiful trees with a twice-yearly light prune in early Summer and Autumn. Give them a trim often to avoid losing control of the tree's shape and maintain the plant's vigour.
An extensive prune in Spring is also ideal for rejuvenating older Bay Trees that have lost shape and vitality. However, due to its slow growth rate, the tree will take time to recover. The Bay tree's natural shape makes it an ideal plant for creating a secure hedge to screen out the view and some noise from the neighbours.
Bay trees are low-maintenance evergreen shrubs ideal in containers and can transform any doorway. Bay trees can also be used in the landscape to add a year-round backbone to seasonal planting schemes. Happiest when planted in full sun and fed once a year in Spring with max crop seaweed extract and a base fertiliser around the soil nearest the plant of Q4 feed.
A slightly sheltered spot from strong winds is best to avoid scorching and leaf fall during the winter months. Bay trees are ideal for a south-of-west-facing garden in well-drained soil. You can improve the soil's nutrients with soil-based John Innes Number 3 Compost before planting.
Garden centres such as Boma in Kentish Town, London, that specialise in Bay trees are familiar with the enormous demand for these trees and how to care for them, stocking a complete range of Lauris Nobilis with Standard Bays, Spiral Bays and Pyramid Bay Tree varieties.
Standard Bay Trees
Standard Bay Trees with a single stem and a lollipop head of foliage start at a height from ¼ standard and range in sizes that include ½ standard and ¾ standard heights as well. The lollipop foliage heads are available from a diameter of 25cm to 65cm.
If you are unfamiliar with the term Standard Tree Heights and confused about a quarter, half and three-quarter heights, please see as follows:
- A ¼ Standard Bay Tree height (Quarter-Standard Bays) is a single straight trunk with no lower branches for the first 1.0m (Meter) from its base. These sizes are ideal for containers outside the front door and on a patio.
- A ½ Standard Bay Tree height (Half-Standard Bays) is for a single straight trunk with no lower branches for the first 1.2 to 1.5m (Metres) from its base. ½ Standard Bay Trees are ideal for a small garden bed or larger planters.
- A ¾ Standard Bay Tree height (Three-Quarter-Standard Bays) is a single straight trunk with no lower branches below 1.5 to 1.7m (Metres) from its base. These sizes of Bay trees are common in larger gardens and for landscaping.
- A Full Standard Bay Tree is a tree with a single trunk with no lower branches below 1.8m (Metres) from its base. Some standard trees with trunks above 4m line the sides of roads.
Spiral Bay Trees
As well as the Standard Bay Trees with straight stems, Boma also stocks Spiral Stem Bay Trees with an overall height of 110cm, with a stem height of 70cm. The trees have a Lollipop foliage head with diameters from 30 to 50cm. The Spiral Stems offer a striking, elegant feature ideal for landscaping planting designs and look superb in a contemporary garden setting.
Pyramid Bay Trees
In addition to Standard Bay Trees and Spiral varieties, Boma also stocks Pyramid Bay Trees. This variety of Lauris Nobilis is trained as a pyramid shape shrub without a bare trunk below its foliage. The pyramid shape is available in 80cm, 110cm, and 120cm sizes. The pyramid variety looks superb in a container or as corner marker points throughout the garden, adding a novel feature element to any garden.
Bay leaves add flavour and have a wonderful aroma
If you've ever used Bay leaves for cooking, you'll know what a wonderful flavour and aroma the plant's leaves add to a dish.
Bay trees can be bought from the Boma as Small Bay Plants in 10.5cm, 2 Litre and 3 Litre containers. These smaller plants are ideal for a small container near the kitchen door and used for culinary uses in the kitchen.
Use your creativity with Bay Trees for Topiary
Topiary Bay-shaped domes are available at the Boma in the Spring and are ideal for planting in the border in formal lines to frame a driveway or garden path in the garden. Topiary bay domes can also be planted in larger sizes together in beds and cloud pruned to create intricate and elaborate cloud-like shapes and structures once full grown. Cloud pruning is a Japanese tradition known as 'Niwaki' and takes time to train and prune bay plants into the desired shape. A highly skilled form of art that takes time, precision, and a lot of patience!!!
Bay trees are well suited to be grown in containers, but during periods of prolonged heat in summer, you need to give more attention to watering.
Bay trees are a slow-growing plant and a long-term investment. The Boma outdoor plant horticulture team can advise on planting and plant care. Pop into the Garden Centre in Kentish Town or contact us through our website, phone or email.
