Outdoor, in the ground wintering over of Bay and Lemon Verbena in the SE?

[nctomatoman]

We have a Bay tree planted outdoors near the house, and have a really nice Lemon Verbena plant in a pot. I'd love to get it into the ground as well (Rosemary is wintering over with ease here in Raleigh - and even a Walking Iris - Neomarica - wintered over this part year). I don't have a lot of experience with the hardiness of either....anyone have thoughts?

[habitat_gardener]

Here in the San Francisco bay area, my lemon verbena in the ground looked dead until fairly late in the season. It does lose its leaves in the winter, but this year it took a lot longer than usual to show any new growth. In the past month, it's sent up a lot of new growth that's now 3 ft. high. Usually we don't get any hard freezes, though it has gotten as cold as 20F. If you get freezing temperatures for more than a few days at a time, I'd protect it or take it indoors.

My rosemary and neomarica have been unaffected by brief freezes.

[Worth1]

Craig I have 2 bay trees, they are slow growing, they are in sorry soil and in partial shade.
They have been through frost and freeze with no harm.
The best I have read is they will and can stand around 15-10 degrees before death or at least freeze back.
It is best to let them grow in a bush form as this seems to protect them from cold weather more so than a skinny tree form.

I really like them and I get all of our bay leaf needs from these two trees.
I’m going to plant more in a nice sunny spot with good soil and see what they will do.

The zone maps are not a good source for climate info these days, especially where I live.
How cold does it get there now?


Worth

[Blueaussi]

I'm south of you, but Bay trees do make nice shrubs around here. Can you put it in a sheltered location, maybe on the south side of the house or something?

[mjc]

Bay should handle down to about 25 F without problems...below that it will defoliate and possibly suffer twig damage; below 5 F it will die.

Lemon verbena is only 'rated' to about 40 F...

[habitat_gardener]

"Lemon verbena is only 'rated' to about 40 F..."

That's surprising! Kathi Keville says she's seen mature, well-mulched plants survive 25F winters where the ground didn't freeze. I've seen a small lemon verbena tree in San Francisco (less than 20 ft. high), but it gets colder here and mine hasn't ever grown taller than 5 ft. I had it in a large pot (a 24-inch box) for a couple years, then planted it in the ground 2-3 years ago. I think mine took longer to revive this year because I kept tripping over it and pruned it too much last year, but the new growth looks much stronger. I haven't ever protected it in the winter, but I'll do that this winter and see if it bounces back sooner in the spring.

Craig, since your lemon verbena is in a pot, I'd keep it in the pot until next spring so that you can take it indoors during cold snaps. Then, when temperatures are reliably over 40, you can put it in the ground in a warm, sheltered spot that will be easy to protect once winter comes -- next to a south-facing wall, or under a south-facing eave. With all spring, summer, and fall to grow more roots, it should be better able to deal with life outdoors.

I also have a lemongrass plant in the ground, which I think is even more cold-sensitive. Last winter, I protected it with a cloche (5 gallon plastic water bottle with the bottom cut out), and left all the dry foliage until it was warm enough to remove the cloche in the spring.

[Marko]

I live in zone 7 and have a bay tree planted in the garden, it survived -17°C/2F with no visual damage. But it can be burned by the sun if temps are bellow freezing.
Rosemary overwinters with no problem.

[Medbury Gardens]

Originally Posted by Marko

I live in zone 7 and have a bay tree planted in the garden, it survived -17°C/2F with no visual damage.

If you get -17C and your bay tree survives,i'm sure that my young tree will handle winters here that dont even come close to being that cold.