Conditional — Some Areas
bay laurel (zones 8-10) reaches only part of Pennsylvania (5b-8a): zone 8 are in range, so where you are in the state decides it.
One zone short — what would close it
Bay Laurel is hardy to zone 8, and the warmest ground in Pennsylvania is zone 7 — 1 zone short. Planted in open ground it will not survive a Pennsylvania winter. To grow it here, grow bay laurel in a container and move it under cover for the coldest weeks, or give it a greenhouse.
Season extension and overwintering under cover both work at this margin. How to buy the weeks →
Zone math from 8-10 (plant) against 5-7 (Pennsylvania). Lift modeled by crop_engine Sprint 20B effective_zone_modifier (+2 zones) via api/fast_sections.py Unlock Engine v2.
Your yard isn't the whole zone.
Pennsylvania spans zones 5b-8a, but your yard sits in exactly one — and slope, tree cover, and cold-air pockets nudge it further. Enter your address and we'll score bay laurel against your parcel's actual hardiness, soil, and sun.
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Zone Comparison
Bay Laurel Needs
- USDA Zones: 8-10
- Frost-Free Days: 120+
- Sun: Full Sun
- Mature size: 30 ft tall
- Picking window: ~365 days of harvest
- Drought tolerance: Medium
Pennsylvania Has
- USDA Zones: 5b-8a
- Last Hard Freeze (28°F): Apr 6 - Apr 24
- First Hard Freeze (28°F): Oct 25 - Nov 3
- Annual Rainfall: 36-48 inches
- Common Soils: Silt loam, Shale-derived, Limestone-derived
Plant Zone Range (zones 8-10)
Preferred Soil pH
Plant data: USDA PLANTS Database / Growable Ground plant catalog. State data: USDA ARS PHZM 2023, NOAA Climate Normals, NRCS SSURGO.
When to Plant Bay Laurel in Pennsylvania
The frost window
Across Pennsylvania, the last spring hard freeze (28°F) clears between Apr 6 and Apr 24, and the first fall hard freeze lands between Oct 25 and Nov 3 (NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020). Counting from the latest last freeze to the earliest first freeze, that's a 184-day window you can count on — up to 211 days on a mild site in a kind year. That marks the hard freeze, not the last light frost, so tender transplants usually wait another 2-3 weeks.
Winter standing
Bay Laurel overwinters from USDA zone 8 and warmer (NC State Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox; Missouri Botanical Garden Plant Finder), and Pennsylvania runs as cold as zone 5, so it does not survive winter in the ground here. It is a woody plant rather than a crop you resow each spring, so neither a fall establishment date nor a harvest countdown describes it in Pennsylvania — which is why this page gives neither. What it needs here is a way through winter, not a planting date.
Timing tuned to sub-state frost dates — Potter County, not the statewide average.
Frost window: NOAA Climate Normals 1991-2020. Plant timing fields: USDA PLANTS Database. Your site's own frost dates can run earlier or later than the state range — a parcel report pins them down.
Growing Season Fit
The zone check says bay laurel survives winter in part of Pennsylvania, not across all of it. Whether the season is long enough — and warm enough — is a different question.
Frost-free days
Bay Laurel wants 120+ frost-free days; a typical Pennsylvania site sees ~197 (NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020). That leaves comfortable headroom for succession planting.
Growing degree days
Bay Laurel needs ~2000 GDD (base 50°F) to ripen. The state median runs ~2447 GDD (from PRISM 1991-2020 climate normals), so Pennsylvania's typical season clears that easily.
GDD and chill-hour figures are computed from PRISM 1991-2020 monthly climate normals; frost-free days from NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020. Each is the state median across its counties (P25/P75 span the within-state spread). Hardiness-zone range is USDA PHZM 2023.
Soil + Drainage Fit
Bay Laurel tolerates a wide pH range (pH 4.5-8.2) — 3.7 units, acid ground through alkaline — so soil acidity is rarely what limits it in Pennsylvania. A soil test is still worth having, but for what else it tells you about this site, not to clear this plant. It will grow across that whole span, but it does best between pH 5 and 6.5 — worth knowing before you decide whether a Pennsylvania soil test result is a problem or just a number. Drainage matters: this plant wants well (dry spells). If your Pennsylvania site is heavier clay or sits in a low spot, raised beds or amendment with compost solve it.
Your land, not the state average
SSURGO maps about 14.1% of Pennsylvania as poorly or somewhat-poorly drained, and the class flips parcel to parcel. Bay Laurel sits mid-range for drought tolerance, so either extreme can cost you — your soil map unit, not the state average, is the real answer.
Check your parcel → Source: USDA NRCS SSURGO.
Plant pH and drainage requirements from USDA PLANTS Database. Pennsylvania soil profile from USDA NRCS SSURGO. Site-specific verification: a 30-minute soil test from your local Extension lab.
Bay Laurel in Pennsylvania — Quick Answer
- Verdict: Conditional — Some Areas
- Plant Zones: 8-10 (USDA PLANTS Database)
- State Zones: 5b-8a (USDA ARS PHZM 2023)
- Growing Season: 28°F hard freezes about Apr 6 - Apr 24 to Oct 25 - Nov 3 (NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020)
- Days to Maturity: 365 days
What Else to Consider for Bay Laurel in Pennsylvania
Zone compatibility tells you about winter cold survival — but Pennsylvania growers also need to think about:
Rocky shale soils in the ridge-and-valley region
Short mountain seasons in the Poconos and Alleghenies
Deer pressure is among the highest in the US
Growing bay laurel here specifically
Bay Laurel likes pH 4.5–8.2 and takes cold to about 46°F, yet neither saves it from wet feet — SSURGO maps about 14.1% of Pennsylvania poorly-drained, where its crown sit and rot.
Set bay laurel high on bermed, grit-amended ground so winter and storm water drain away from the crown. How to handle it →
What to actually do about these — and the constraints that apply to every Pennsylvania grower, not just bay laurel — is covered on the Pennsylvania growing guide.
Timing shifts within Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania isn't one climate. In Potter County, the last hard freeze (28°F) holds until about May 5 — roughly 21 days later than the recorded state median — so plant bay laurel to your county's window, not the statewide date.
Bay Laurel needs about 120 days of frost-free season to complete its cycle. Even Potter County — Pennsylvania’s shortest season at 160 frost-free days — clears that by 40 days, so season length isn’t the constraint anywhere in Pennsylvania. What varies is your own parcel.
Across Pennsylvania’s 67 counties the frost-free season runs from 160 days in Potter County to 250 days in Philadelphia County — a spread of 90 days, which is why a single statewide planting date misleads. The median Pennsylvania county sees 197 frost-free days, leaving bay laurel about 77 days of slack on a typical parcel — room for a second sowing where the season runs long.
County last-freeze dates and frost-free day counts: NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS (1991-2020), county 28°F freeze (earlier than the folk 32°F "last frost"). Bay Laurel's 120-day requirement: USDA PLANTS / Growable Ground plant database (minimum frost-free days). A parcel report resolves your address's own frost dates.
Pollinator + Wildlife Value
Bay Laurel draws honeybees (low value, Growable Ground Plant Database). Planting it near vegetable beds can lift fruit set on neighboring crops. Outdoors, bay laurel can only work that bloom inside Pennsylvania's frost window — roughly 197 days, opening after the last 28°F freeze (Apr 6 - Apr 24) and closing at the first (Oct 25 - Nov 3), per NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020.
Good to Know Before You Plant Bay Laurel
On Growable Ground, Bay Laurel means Laurus nobilis — not to be confused with cherry laurel (Prunus laurocerasus) and California bay (Umbellularia californica). cherry laurel is toxic and not culinary — confirm the leaf is true Laurus nobilis before cooking with it.
Recommended Bay Laurel Varieties for Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania publishes no state variety trial for bay laurel, so we won't invent a "best for Pennsylvania" list. Choose types rated to your USDA hardiness zone (5b-8a), and confirm winter survival and drainage against your own parcel.
Pennsylvania Cooperative Extension
For Pennsylvania-specific cultivar recommendations, planting calendars, and pest pressure for bay laurel, the canonical source is Penn State Extension. Their fact sheets carry the local trial data we can't generalize across 50 states.
Common Questions About Growing Bay Laurel in Pennsylvania
When can I plant Bay Laurel in Pennsylvania?
Pennsylvania's last spring hard freeze (28°F) clears between Apr 6 and Apr 24, and the first fall hard freeze lands between Oct 25 and Nov 3 (NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020). Bay Laurel overwinters only from USDA zone 8 and warmer, and Pennsylvania runs as cold as zone 5, so it does not survive winter in the ground here — the question for Pennsylvania growers is how to carry it through winter under cover, not which week to plant it.
What hardiness zone is Bay Laurel grown in across Pennsylvania?
Pennsylvania spans USDA hardiness zones 5b-8a (USDA ARS PHZM 2023). Bay Laurel carries a range of zones 8-10, so the overlap zones are where outdoor growing is most reliable.
How many frost-free days does a typical Pennsylvania site have?
A typical Pennsylvania site sees ~197 frost-free days per year (derived from NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020). Bay Laurel needs 120+ frost-free days, so check whether your local microclimate runs above or below the state average before settling on a planting date. In cooler counties like Potter, the freeze-free season runs shorter than the state average, so verify your own county's window.
How should I amend the soil for Bay Laurel in Pennsylvania?
Bay Laurel tolerates pH 4.5-8.2 and well (dry spells) drainage (FAO ECOCROP). That is a 3.7-unit span, acid ground through alkaline, so pH is rarely what limits this plant on a Pennsylvania site — amend for drainage and organic matter first.
Will Bay Laurel actually grow on my specific land in Pennsylvania?
State-level zone + climate data is a sketch. A Growable Ground parcel report scores bay laurel against your address's exact soil pH, drainage, sun, and frost-date data drawn from USDA SSURGO, NOAA, and PRISM — not state averages.
Check your specific parcel in Pennsylvania
State-level data is a sketch. Your Growable Ground report scores bay laurel against your parcel's exact soil, sun, drainage, and frost data — not zone averages.
Three things about your lot that Pennsylvania bay laurel averages can't show:
We read public map data around Pennsylvania — soil, climate, flood, and parcel records. How we handle your address.
25+ data sources read at your address, not the Pennsylvania bay laurel average
Explore More
Growing guides for bay laurel
Analysis by the Growable Ground research team, grounded in USDA PLANTS, USDA NRCS SSURGO, NOAA Climate Normals (1991-2020), and named Cooperative Extension sources. How we know →
Cite this dataset
Kirchick, M. (2026). Growable Ground Plant Database [Data set]. Zenodo. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.21435643
Licensed CC BY-NC 4.0. DOI 10.5281/zenodo.21435643
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