Native to the Mediterranean and extensively utilized as a culinary herb, the Bay Tree stands out as a highly ornamental shrub with culinary benefits. Belonging to the Laurel family, alongside the equally fragrant Cinnamon, the Bay Tree is cultivated for its aromatic leaves, a prominent flavouring throughout Mediterranean cuisines. These leaves, whether dried or fresh, are added whole into various dishes, such as pasta sauces and soups, imparting a subtle, herbal, and floral flavour. Bay Leaves are an essential part of the Bouquet garni, the french bouquet of herbs often also with thyme, parsley, rosemary and tarragon. Either as part of this bouquet or individually, the Bay Leaf is present in famous french dishes as Coq au vin (chicken with wine) and Beef Bourguignon. Bay Trees exhibit hardiness to diverse conditions and demand minimal maintenance and care once they have established themselves. Exceptionally cold and wind tolerant, they can withstand nearly all conditions in Australia. Additionally, these plants possess moderate salt tolerance, rendering them suitable for coastal gardens. Highly drought-resistant with low rainfall requirements, Bay Trees are also adaptable to various soil types. Particularly well-suited for container cultivation, the dwarf form can be easily managed to maintain a compact size. Forming a dense shrub, the Bay Tree lends itself well to being trained into a hedge. In this capacity, its leaves can be harvested year-round from a young age, transforming the Bay Tree into an excellent, low-maintenance, edible hedge. A dwarf, cutting-grown form of the Bay Tree is also available for gardeners. This variety is easily maintained at under 1 metre in height and is highly suitable for growing in containers or small herb gardens where full-sized plants may become too large. The aromatic, fresh bay leaves can be effortlessly gathered from a backyard hedge with minimal effort on the part of the gardener, making them a low-risk but highly rewarding choice for any garden.
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Hortiforum 