Saratoga Sweet Bay

Saratoga Sweet Bay Laurel

5 Gallon·Multi
$55.90
Skip to product information
Saratoga Sweet Bay
1/5

Saratoga Sweet Bay Laurel

Laurus nobilis 'Saratoga'

Fruitless Male Culinary Bay • Attractive Reddish New Stems • Clean Choice for Hedges & Containers

$55.90
Size

24-hour Money-back Guarantee

Free Delivery Over $199

+1 650-241-8858 (SMS ok)

coco-plant

Bay Area–Based Nursery

We specialize in plants grown and delivered in their original pots and soil.
Because of their size and weight, our plants are not suitable for long-distance shipping and are delivered locally to ensure health and quality.

While delivery is limited to our local service area, we’re happy to support garden design and plant selection remotely.

For local plant professionals, we’re always glad to connect and explore ways to support your customers.

Saratoga Sweet Bay Laurel is a superior male cultivar of the species, offering all the culinary and ornamental benefits without the messy fruit. Its new stems are an attractive reddish color, adding seasonal interest. This is the recommended choice for a tidy, fruitless bay tree perfect for hedging, topiary, or container growing.

  • A fruitless (male) cultivar that does not produce the inedible berries, making it a cleaner choice for landscapes and patios.

  • Features the same aromatic, glossy leaves used for cooking as the standard Sweet Bay.

  • Showcases attractive reddish new stems that provide a nice color contrast against the dark green foliage.

  • Ideal for creating a neat, formal bay hedge or for growing in a container where fruit drop is undesirable.

Knowing how we measure the size?

Knowing how we measure the size?

When browsing our plants, you may notice size terms such as Gallon, Multi, or Stand. These describe how a plant is grown, containerized, or structured at the time of sale — not just its height. Understanding these terms will help you choose the right plant for your space and expectations.

🌱 Gallon Size (Container Size)

Gallon refers to the size of the nursery container the plant is currently growing in (e.g. 1 Gallon, 5 Gallon, 15 Gallon).

  • A larger gallon size generally means:

    • A more established root system

    • A sturdier plant

    • Faster visual impact after planting

  • Example:

    • 5 Gallon: Ideal for residential gardens, easy to handle, good balance of value and maturity

    • 15 Gallon: More mature, provides quicker results in the landscape

Note: Gallon size does not guarantee a specific height, as growth varies by species.


🌳 Multi (Multi-Trunk / Multi-Branch Form)

Multi indicates the plant has multiple trunks or main stems growing from the base.

  • Commonly used for:

    • Ornamental trees

    • Feature plants

    • Japanese maples, olives, crepe myrtles, etc.

  • Why choose Multi:

    • Fuller, more sculptural appearance

    • Strong visual presence even at younger ages

    • Popular for design-focused landscapes


🌲 Stand (Single-Trunk / Standard Form)

Stand (short for Standard) refers to a single, dominant trunk with a raised or naturally formed canopy.

  • Commonly used for:

    • Shade trees

    • Street trees

    • Orchard and structural plantings

  • Why choose Stand:

    • Clean, classic tree form

    • Easier clearance for walkways and lawns

    • Preferred for long-term structure and uniformity


🌿 Choosing the Right Size

  • If you want instant impact → larger Gallon, Multi form

  • If you want long-term structure → Stand form

  • If you want flexibility and value → mid-size Gallon containers

If you’re unsure which size or form fits your project, our team is happy to help you select the best option based on your space, timeline, and design goals.

Quick facts
  • Features:Foliage: Oval, thick leathery green leaves with smooth margins; aromatic with bitter fragrance (fresh leaves); dried leaves develop enhanced aroma with reduced bitterness, used as "bay leaf" seasoning.Flowers: Small, insignificant yellow-green clusters; male variety does not produce fruit.Habit: Evergreen shrub or tree with compact pyramidal crown; new stems show red coloration
  • Mature Height: 20-30 ft
  • Mature Width: 10-20 ft
  • Growth Rate: Moderate
  • Light Needs: Full sun to partial shade
  • Key Advantages:Culinary use of leaves as seasoning.Low water needs and drought tolerant.Deer resistant.Responds well to pruning for shaping.Adaptable to container growing
  • Landscape Uses:Formal or informal hedges.Container and patio plantings.Topiary and shaped specimens.Kitchen and herb gardens.Mediterranean-style landscapes
FAQs

Q: What's the main advantage over the regular Sweet Bay?A:Thelack of fruit. The standard Sweet Bay (if female) produces small purple berries that can drop and create minor litter. ‘Saratoga’ eliminates this while providing identical leaves for harvest.

Browse online or get recommendations

Shop by collection, or message us with photos and measurements of your space for tailored suggestions.

Place your order & schedule delivery

Choose your trees and preferred delivery window. Most Bay Area orders are delivered within about 10 business days, depending on routing and weather.

We deliver carefully to your property

Our drivers are trained to handle living plants, not just boxes. For many trees, we can set them in place near the planting site.

Grow with our ongoing support

You’ll receive basic care guidelines, and you can always reach out if you’re unsure about watering, fertilizing, or pruning.

Discover More from Victory Nursery

Canopy Trees
Canopy shade trees with broad crowns creating cool shade over a Bay Area

Canopy Trees

Columnar Trees
Columnar trees with narrow upright growth forming a clean vertical accent

Columnar Trees

Edible Garden
Edible garden plants with herbs, citrus, berries, and raised beds in a sunny Bay Area backyard

Edible Garden

English Garden
English cottage-style garden border with roses, lavender, hydrangea, and layered perennials in soft romantic colors

English Garden

Fruit Trees
pomegranate fruit tree for home garden in the San Francisco Bay Area from victory nursery

Fruit Trees

Hedges
Dense evergreen hedge plants used for privacy screening in a Bay Area garden

Hedges

Large Trees
Large mature trees over 20 feet providing shade and structure in a San Francisco Bay Area residential landscape

Large Trees

Laurel
Laurel Trees

Laurel

More Shrubs
a curated overflow collection that brings together additional shrub categories

More Shrubs

Shrubs
Assorted evergreen and flowering shrubs forming a layered, year-round foundation planting in a Bay Area garden

Shrubs

Specimen Trees
Specimen tree with sculptural branching and mature canopy as a focal point in a Bay Area garden

Specimen Trees

Trees
Trees for shade, structure

Trees

Related Picks from Victory Nursery

What brings you to Victory Nursery today?

Choose the path that best fits what you’re working on right now.

Instant Privacy Trees
Instant privacy trees for Bay Area homes—evergreen screening trees for fast backyard privacy and fence-line coverage

Tall, fast-impact trees for immediate screening along fences and property lines.

Instant Privacy Trees

Fruit Trees
pomegranate fruit tree for home garden in the San Francisco Bay Area from victory nursery

Citrus, stone fruits, berries, and more — picked for California’s climate.

Fruit Trees

Shade-Friendly Garden
Shade-Friendly Garden

Plants that stay happy in courtyards, side yards, and softer coastal light.

Shade-Friendly Garden

Garden Services
ree planting service in a Bay Area backyard with proper staking and mulch ring

Prefer to talk through your space? Our team can help you plan and source everything.

Garden Services

Garden services to match your plants

Prefer not to do the heavy lifting? Our field team can help with key projects across the Bay Area.

Planting Service

Planting Service

Expert planting for healthy, long-lasting plant growth

Planting Service

Crane Rental Services

Crane Rental Services

Bay Area crane rental with certified operators—planned picks, safe lifts, and precise placement for heavy or hard-to-access installs.

Crane Rental Services

Garden Design Service

Garden Design Service

Lightweight garden design, no hardscape.

Garden Design Service

Pruning & Shaping Service

Pruning & Shaping Service

Two gardeners on site to prune, shape, and tidy your existing trees and shrubs. Perfect for overgrown hedges, view windows, and seasonal refreshes.

Pruning & Shaping Service