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Dan,
Someone gave me a small bay tree. It's 4" tall with maybe 8 leaves on it. I have a friend that had one in a container, 4' tall and healthy, but the hard cold killed it. My question is - did it die because it wasn't in the ground and the roots were damaged because they froze and WWDD (what would Dan do) with his bay tree?
Thanks, Jason R.
Bay trees (Laurus nobilis) are generally hardy to the teens when established in the ground. Mine have come through the upper teens numerous times. So, it is likely it was killed because it was left out in a container (and it may be alive - it's possible just the leaves were killed). We typically grow these trees in the ground, particularly in south Louisiana.
Grow yours in containers until it is larger (maybe a couple of feet tall) before planting it in the ground. During that time, bring it indoors on cold winter nights when it will freeze.
Dan Gill
Consumer Horticulture Specialist
The LSU AgCenter and the LSU College of Agriculture