Red Bay

This species and other members of the Lauraceae are being attacked by a serious, fatal disease. Do not plant this plant unless you are absolutely sure that it is not infected!



This and other bays are being attacked by a fatal disease (laurel wilt disease). Avoid spreading this plant, it is best not to plant this or other bays.

Not salt tolerant of inundation by salty or brackish water.



Moderate. Tolerant of salty wind and may get some salt spray. Exposure to salt spray would be uncommon (major storms).

Subject to laural wilt, which is spread by the redbay ambrosia beetle. Do not move dead wood. Allow sprouts from stumps to grow to supply larval food for the spicebush swallow tail and other butterflies.

Fruits eaten and dispersed by birds.

Upland hardwood forests, dry mesic hammocks, calcareous hammocks. Sometime associated with wetlands.

• Interesting foliage
• Larval host plant for palamedes swallowtail (Papilio palamedes) and spicebush swallowtail (Papilio troilus) butterflies.
• Attracts bees including Colletes banksi, C. brimleyi, C. nudus, Augochloropsis metallica, Evylaeuspectoralis, Epeolus zonatus, Apis mellifera (honeybee) and  Bombus impatiens (Deyrup et al. 2002).