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Re: Laurus nobilis cultivars?

Laurus nobilis "Saratoga" is a fairly common variety in the US.  It's
listed in the Sunset Western Garden Book.  I have the plant as well.  It's
just in a one-gallon pot at the moment.

>From The Sunset Western Garden Book, 6th (most recent) edition [anything in
square brackets are my comments.  I am reproducing the entire entry even
though you obvously know most of the information already.]:

Laurus nobilis
Sweet Bay, Grecian Laurel
Lauraceae [family]
Evergreen shrub of tree
Zones 5-9, 12-24 [Sunset has its own zone system, 1-24]
Full sun or partial shade
Little water once established

Slow growth to 12-40 feet.  Natural habit is compact, broad-based--often
that of a multi-stemmed, gradually tapering cone.  Leaves are leathery,
aromatic, oval, 2-4 inches long, dark green; traditional bay leaf of
cookery.  Clusters of small yellow flowers are followed by 1/2-1 inch long,
black or dark purple berries.

Not fussy about soil but needs good drainage.  Spray for black scale and
laurel psyllid.  Tends to sucker heavily.  Dense habit makes it a good
large background shurb, screen, or small tree.  Takes well to clipping into
formal shapes--globes, cones, topiary shapes, standards, or hedges.  A
classic formal container plant.  "Saratoga" has broader leaves and a more
treelike habit, and is resistant to psyllid.

Cyndi

-- 
_______________________________________________________________________________
"There's nothing wrong with me.  Maybe there's                     Cyndi Norman
something wrong with the universe." (ST:TNG)                   cnorman@best.com
__________________________________________________ http://www.best.com/~cnorman
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