Little Ragu® Sweet Bay

Bay leaves are an indispensable item in every cook’s spice collection, but the sweet bay bush is a large shrub, and not cold-hardy, so it’s difficult to grow it among your garden herbs – or at least it was. With the compact Little Ragu® Sweet Bay you have the answer, because this plant stays compact and bushy for years, and can be grown in a pot with ease. Hardy year-round in warmer zones, in a pot it can be brought into a cool room for the winter, and popped back out again come spring – it’s easy. A handsome bush of dense branches, new growth is dark-red, a unique feature of this variety. It can be trimmed as you wish, and in pots you can copy that ‘London look’ of a pair of bay trees flanking your front door. This variety has exceptionally fragrant and aromatic leaves, and you can use them fresh, or hang a bunch in your kitchen to dry.

• Compact, bushy form makes this tree feasible in cold climates
• Very aromatic foliage is ideal for use in the kitchen
• Will happily grow in a pot for many years
• Unique red-tinged new growth
• Can be trimmed into a pyramid or other formal shapes

Grow your Little Ragu® Sweet Bay in full sun or with a few hours of shade – the most aromatic leaves develop on plants in full sun. Plant in any well-drained soil, using a potting soil for outdoors trees, or mixing half regular potting soil with half cactus soil. Water only when the soil is dry 2 or 3 inches down into the pot, and never leave standing in a saucer of water. Use evergreen liquid fertilizer in spring and early summer. Trim at any time – late winter is probably best. Not eaten by deer, and rarely suffering from pest or disease problems, this plant is easy to grow, and a great addition to both your garden and your kitchen.