Unlikely — Zone Mismatch
container bay laurel (zones 8-10) does not overlap with Ohio's zone range (5b-7a). Growing outdoors is unlikely without significant protection.
One zone short — what would close it
Container Bay Laurel is hardy to zone 8, and the warmest ground in Ohio is zone 7 — 1 zone short. Planted in open ground it will not survive a Ohio winter. To grow it here, grow container bay laurel in a hoop house or unheated greenhouse — its modeled 1.5-zone lift covers this gap.
A hoop house or unheated greenhouse is the lift this needs. How a greenhouse changes what you can grow →
Zone math from 8-10 (plant) against 5-7 (Ohio). Lift modeled by crop_engine.GREENHOUSE_ZONE_MODIFIER_BY_SUBTYPE['hoop_house'] (+1.5 zones) via api/fast_sections.py Unlock Engine v2.
Container Bay Laurel in Ohio — the short answer
Container Bay Laurel in Ohio: hardy in zones 8–10, full sun, against a state median of ~208 frost-free days.
- Plant zones
- 8-10
- Manual horticultural correction (source not retained); NC State Extension and Missouri Botanical Garden, with the remaining rows from other published sources or Growable Ground compilation
- Ohio zones
- 5b-7a
- USDA PHZM 2023
- Frost window
- Apr 5 - Apr 13 – Oct 31 - Nov 6
- NOAA RCC ACIS 1991-2020, 28°F
- Shortest county season
- 182 days
- NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020, county 28°F killing freeze
- Days to maturity
- 365 days
- Growable Ground Plant Database
Plant data: Growable Ground Plant Database, compiled from FAO ECOCROP, USDA PLANTS and university Extension sources — per-field provenance varies and is published with the dataset.
Your yard isn't the whole zone.
Ohio spans zones 5b-7a, 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 container bay laurel against your parcel's actual hardiness, soil, and sun.
We read public map data for this spot — soil, climate, flood, and parcel records. How we handle your address.
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Ohio is not one climate
Ohio’s winter-low ladder runs across 88 counties, from zone 6 in Allen County to zone 7 in Scioto County. That is 10°F between the two counties’ average coldest night — the difference between container bay laurel overwintering in the ground and coming under cover.
The middle half of 88 counties runs 6–6.5 zones, with a median of 6.5 zones — a 1-zone span end to end.
Measured across 88 Ohio counties. USDA PHZM 2023, per county. Quartiles are order statistics — every figure shown is a value a real county recorded, not an interpolation. Your own site sits somewhere inside this range; a parcel report resolves where.
Where Container Bay Laurel Stands in Ohio
Container Bay Laurel is rated for zones 8–10 — a cold floor USDA puts at 10 to 20°F. No Ohio county sits inside it, so in open ground this is a grown-under-cover plant here rather than a bed plant — which is a statement about Ohio winters, not about container bay laurel.
Below the zone 8 floor
88 counties
- Allen County · zone 6a
- Ashland County · zone 6a
- Auglaize County · zone 6a
3 of 88 shown
Winter cold is the limit here — the same plant works in a container that comes under cover.
County hardiness zones: USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map (PHZM) 2023, per county. A zone is a 10°F band of average annual extreme minimum temperature, so the floor above is the band the plant's rating denotes, not a single measured kill point. Slope, shelter and cold-air drainage routinely move a site half a zone either way from its county figure — which is the part only your address resolves.
Zone Comparison
Container Bay Laurel Needs
- USDA Zones: 8-10
- Frost-Free Days: 120+
- Sun: Full Sun
- Mature size: 6 ft tall
- Drought tolerance: Medium
Ohio Has
- USDA Zones: 5b-7a
- Last Hard Freeze (28°F): Apr 5 - Apr 13
- First Hard Freeze (28°F): Oct 31 - Nov 6
- Annual Rainfall: 34-42 inches
- Common Soils: Glacial till, Clay loam, Silt loam
Plant Zone Range (zones 8-10)
Preferred Soil pH
Plant data: Growable Ground Plant Database, compiled from FAO ECOCROP, USDA PLANTS, and university Extension sources — per-field provenance varies and is published with the dataset. State data: USDA ARS PHZM 2023, NOAA Climate Normals, NRCS SSURGO.
When to Plant Container Bay Laurel in Ohio
The frost window
Across Ohio, the last spring hard freeze (28°F) clears between Apr 5 and Apr 13, and the first fall hard freeze lands between Oct 31 and Nov 6 (NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020). Counting from the latest last freeze to the earliest first freeze, that's a 201-day window you can count on — up to 215 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
Ohio runs as cold as USDA zone 5, and no sourced winter-hardiness floor is on record for container bay laurel, so this page does not state whether it overwinters here — and gives no fall establishment date on the strength of a guess. Whether container bay laurel is a permanent planting or a replant-every-spring crop for you turns on your own zone within Ohio; check its hardiness range against that before treating it as long-lived ground.
Timing tuned to sub-state frost dates — Geauga County, not the statewide average.
Frost window: NOAA Climate Normals 1991-2020. Plant timing fields: Growable Ground Plant Database — frost-free days from FAO ECOCROP, days to harvest from university Extension production guides, and growing-degree-day and chill-hour minimums that are compilation estimates rather than published figures. 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 container bay laurel does not survive a Ohio winter in the ground. The season figures below measure a different question — whether it could finish a season here at all — and they only bear on Ohio under protection.
Frost-free days
Container Bay Laurel wants 120+ frost-free days; a typical Ohio site sees ~208 (NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020). That leaves comfortable headroom for succession planting.
Growing degree days
Container Bay Laurel needs ~2000 GDD (base 50°F) to ripen. The state median runs ~2921 GDD (from PRISM 1991-2020 climate normals), so Ohio'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
Container 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 Ohio. 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 6 and 7 — worth knowing before you decide whether a Ohio soil test result is a problem or just a number. Drainage matters: this plant wants well (dry spells). If your Ohio 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 28.6% of Ohio as poorly or somewhat-poorly drained, and the class flips parcel to parcel. Container 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 requirements: FAO ECOCROP and USDA PLANTS, with the remaining rows from other published sources or Growable Ground compilation. Drainage: FAO ECOCROP, with the remaining rows from other published sources or Growable Ground compilation. Ohio soil profile from USDA NRCS SSURGO. Site-specific verification: a 30-minute soil test from your local Extension lab.
What Else to Consider for Container Bay Laurel in Ohio
Zone compatibility tells you about winter cold survival — but Ohio growers also need to think about:
Heavy clay soils across much of northern Ohio require amendment for drainage
Variable spring weather with late frost risk through mid-May
Japanese beetles and tomato hornworms are common garden pests
Wet springs can delay planting and promote root rot
Growing container bay laurel here specifically
Container Bay Laurel rates to USDA zones 8–10 and takes frost damage on growing tissue around 15°F (FAO ECOCROP), but cold isn't the risk in Ohio — wet is: with roughly 28.6% of its soils poorly-drained (SSURGO), soggy ground rots the crown.
Give container bay laurel a raised bed or mounded row with coarse amendment so its crown never sit wet. How to handle it →
What to actually do about these — and the constraints that apply to every Ohio grower, not just container bay laurel — is covered on the Ohio growing guide.
Timing shifts within Ohio
Ohio isn't one climate. In Geauga County, the last hard freeze (28°F) holds until about Apr 22 — roughly 13 days later than the recorded state median — so plant container bay laurel to your county's window, not the statewide date.
Container Bay Laurel needs about 120 days of frost-free season to complete its cycle. Even Columbiana County — Ohio’s shortest season at 182 frost-free days — clears that by 62 days, so season length isn’t the constraint anywhere in Ohio. What varies is your own parcel.
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"). Container 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
Container Bay Laurel draws honeybees (low value, Growable Ground Plant Database). Planting it near vegetable beds can lift fruit set on neighboring crops. Outdoors, container bay laurel can only work that bloom inside Ohio's frost window — roughly 208 days, opening after the last 28°F freeze (Apr 5 - Apr 13) and closing at the first (Oct 31 - Nov 6), per NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020.
Ohio Cooperative Extension
For Ohio-specific cultivar recommendations, planting calendars, and pest pressure for container bay laurel, the canonical source is Ohio State University Extension. Their fact sheets carry the local trial data we can't generalize across 50 states.
Is Container Bay Laurel native to Ohio?
No — the USDA PLANTS Database lists Container Bay Laurel as introduced rather than native in the Lower 48, so it is not part of Ohio's native flora. It grows here as a garden plant; pairing it with a few Ohio natives keeps local pollinators fed too.
Looking for plants that belong here? The Ohio growing guide lists USDA-documented natives for the state.
Native-range data: USDA PLANTS Database state-distribution records, accessed 2026-07-01.
Common Questions About Growing Container Bay Laurel in Ohio
When can I plant Container Bay Laurel in Ohio?
Ohio's last spring hard freeze (28°F) clears between Apr 5 and Apr 13, and the first fall hard freeze lands between Oct 31 and Nov 6 (NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020). No sourced winter-hardiness floor is on record for Container Bay Laurel, so this page does not state whether it overwinters in Ohio and publishes no fall establishment date for it — check its hardiness range against your own zone before treating it as a permanent planting.
What hardiness zone is Container Bay Laurel grown in across Ohio?
Ohio spans USDA hardiness zones 5b-7a (USDA ARS PHZM 2023). Container 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 Ohio site have?
A typical Ohio site sees ~208 frost-free days per year (derived from NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020). Container 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 Geauga, the freeze-free season runs shorter than the state average, so verify your own county's window.
Is Container Bay Laurel native to Ohio?
No — the USDA PLANTS Database lists Container Bay Laurel as introduced rather than native in the Lower 48, so it is not part of Ohio's native flora. It grows here as a garden plant; pairing it with a few Ohio natives keeps local pollinators fed too.
How should I amend the soil for Container Bay Laurel in Ohio?
Container Bay Laurel tolerates pH 4.5-8.2 and well (dry spells) drainage (Growable Ground Plant Database). That is a 3.7-unit span, acid ground through alkaline, so pH is rarely what limits this plant on a Ohio site — amend for drainage and organic matter first.
Will Container Bay Laurel actually grow on my specific land in Ohio?
State-level zone + climate data is a sketch. A Growable Ground parcel report scores container 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 Ohio
State-level data is a sketch. Your Growable Ground report scores container bay laurel against your parcel's exact soil, sun, drainage, and frost data — not zone averages.
Three things about your lot that Ohio container bay laurel averages can't show:
We read public map data around Ohio — soil, climate, flood, and parcel records. How we handle your address.
25+ data sources read at your address, not the Ohio container bay laurel average
Explore More
Growing guides for container bay laurel
Explore Ohio county by county
Ohio carries 88 counties with their own USDA zone — a sample of the growing pages for container bay laurel there:
Where else container bay laurel grows
Container Bay Laurel's zone band crosses state lines — these are the states closest to Ohio in winter climate where it also has a page, plus the far ends of its range. Each one re-answers the question with that state's own record.
More to grow in Ohio
Ohio has a growing page for 893 plants — a rotating sample of the rest of the shelf.
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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