Are Bay Trees Good For Bonsai?

The bay tree (Laurus nobilis) is common kitchen herb, but it isn’t often seen on the bonsai benches. You will sometimes see them in the garden as those topiaries. You know the long tall straight trunk and a perfectly round ball of foliage on top, like it’s a lollypop.

Is Bay A Good Species for Bonsai?

Bay can be okay for bonsai. There is a reason it is not super popular, and that is because there are so many other trees that are better. However, it is not the worst tree and if you have one you can do a lot with them.

Due to their growth habits and leaf size they are more suited for larger trees, but you can still achieve some good results with them.

I probably wouldn’t seek out this species, but if you have one already, give it a go, they can be good fun. I have been growing for a while and you can see how it is developing in my Bay Tree Bonsai Progression

Is Bay Foliage Good For Bonsai?

You probably have some dried bay leaves in your kitchen cupboard right now. These are exactly what grow on the bay trees you can use as bonsai. The leaves are thick and tough.

Leaf Size

The leaves are acceptable. For a bonsai they are maybe a little big, but they are not so massive that it looks stupid. If you have a larger tree they will look okay. I have also found that they do reduce in size over time, but not by much, but enough to be satisfied with. 

When you start comparing them to really good leaves, like those on a Chinese elm, then the bay is awful and far too big, but as I already said, in the right circumstances you can be satisfied with them.

Internode Length

The internode length can be long and troublesome, the growth tends to be thick and course, but with regular pruning it can reduce down to a manageable size. I have not been able to get it super small, which is why I believe a larger tree is going to better. It will be more in proportion at this size.

Is A Bay Trees Growth Rate Good For Bonsai?

Bay seems to be an interesting grower. It will sit for a long time doing nothing, and then seemingly overnight just explode with growth. When they do grow the shoots can be quite course.

I would say overall they are kind of slow growing and they do take a while to get thick. This is probably another reason why they are not really used for bonsai as it is hard to find good material.

The new shoots can also be quite long and straight and it can be hard to get movement into the branches. They tend to just want to grow upwards in a very straight fashion. However with plenty of pruning you will get the branches to have more interest over time, but it is more of a challenge and often fighting the tree, rather than it working with you.

-Response To Pruning

Bay will respond well to pruning. Being a herb it likes to be pruned. It will usually send a number of shoots out when it has been pruned so you may find you have to check that there isn’t 3 shoots growing in one spot to avoid knuckles developing.  

Back Budding

Bay trees will send out back buds after pruning and it seems to be where other shoots are already located, so you need to watch out for the formation of knuckles.

I have never removed all the foliage form a bay, but I imagine if you did, it would back bud all over the place and recover. Although, I’m not willing to actually test this out on my own tree. 

Ramification

You can get some decent ramification on a bay. The tree will react in a way that allows for ramification to be built, but due to the slightly larger leaves and internodes lengths you can end up with a bit of a bushy mess.  

This is probably why they are more popular for topiary. You can easily build up a dense bit of foliage and trim it roughly to the shape you want. To get the tree to have a more elegant and defined structure that you want for bonsai will be a lot more difficult.  

Is Bay Trees Styling Ability Good For Bonsai?

Being an evergreen you have plenty of possibilities for styling and a bay will work in a number of styles, but as I’ve said already, it will work better as a larger tree. 

Wiring

You will probably need to wire some branches. A lot can be achieved from clip and grow, but the addition of wire is really going to help you get the shape you want.

The branches can be quite brittle as well as straight, so you really need to wire them while they are young and bendy. If you wait too long it can be very difficult and they will easily snap.

Is A Bay Trees Fall Colours Good For Bonsai?

Being an evergreen means there is very little change throughout the year. You do not get any excitement in autumn and you do not get to see the bare structure over winter.

This means you need to actually pay more attention to the structure throughout the year as it can be very easy to have back buds growing inside the tree and you will not see it from the outside due to the leaves being in the way.     

Is Bay Trees Bark Good For Bonsai?

The bark on bay trees is quite thin and easily damaged. It does not heal very well and it does not look great covered in scars and wounds. This can be hard to avoid but the less damage you can inflict the better.

Are Bay Trees Roots Good For Bonsai?

Bay roots are actually pretty good. They are can be a bit fleshy and course at times, but I have found they can also produce a lot of quite fine roots. They can also take a lot of work. They are exactly what you want from bonsai roots.  They also do not grow super fast, so you can wait a while longer to repot them compared to some other trees.

You are able to develop a nice root flare and root system fairly easily on bay trees.  

Is A Bay Tree Easy To Care For As Bonsai?

Since bay is a herb, it is really easy to grow. It just needs basic care and it will be very happy.

You can read my Bay Care Guide for more information

Conclusion

The bay tree isn’t the best tree for bonsai and it certainly isn’t commonly used.

Many people will believe its best kept in the herb garden, but I really feel that with enough time and patience, you can make it into something decent, especially if you are working with some older and slightly larger material.

The potential is there, but you will have to fight with the tree to get it to cooperate, so I am not surprised other more willing species are used instead.