Bay Leaf Plant (Laurus nobilis)

It’s easy to grow your own bay leaves for soups, stews, curries or meat marinades. The Bay Leaf plant, sometimes called Bay Laurel, has leathery green leaves that can be harvested any time of the year to use fresh or dried for later use. When cooked, the leaves impart a savory flavor but it’s best to remove the leaves before serving since they remain rigid even after cooking. Bay Leaf plant makes an excellent houseplant since it’s easy to grow in a container and it may be moved outdoors during the warm summer months or planted in the garden in zones 9 and higher. Bay can also be trained into a decorative standard. Bay leaves also make lovely herbal wreaths.