Bay Laurel and Rosemary Topiaries Indoors

Bay laurel and rosemary topiaries survive indoor months when they get the brightest, coolest window in the house, about 45 to 65°F, and careful, even watering. Bay is the easier of the two: water when the top inch is dry and it will hold its glossy leaves until spring. Rosemary is fussier. Never let its root ball go bone dry, never let it sit in water, keep air moving to prevent powdery mildew, and give it at least 6 hours of direct sun or a grow light.

Both are Mediterranean shrubs that are hardy outdoors only in mild zones, roughly Zone 8 and warmer for bay and Zone 7 or 8 and warmer for most rosemary. Everywhere colder, potted topiaries come inside before nights drop into the mid 20s °F.

When to bring them in

• Move pots in when nights reach the low 30s °F, usually October in Zones 5 to 6 and November in Zone 7.
• Acclimate over a week by moving them to a shadier spot outdoors first, then indoors. A sudden jump from full sun to a dim room causes leaf drop.
• Check for pests before they come inside. Look under leaves and along stems for scale, mealybugs, and spider mites, and rinse the plant with a hose. See how to bring houseplants indoors without pests.

The right indoor spot

• Light: a south or west window is best. In short days, a grow light 6 to 12 inches above the canopy for 12 to 14 hours keeps growth compact.
• Temperature: cool is better. An unheated sunroom, a cool bright bedroom, or an enclosed porch that stays above freezing all suit them. Warm, dry living rooms push weak growth and invite mites.
• Airflow: rosemary in still air develops white powdery mildew on its leaves. A small fan on low nearby, or a spot near a door that opens often, helps.
• Away from heat vents and cold drafts from leaky windows.

Watering without drowning them

• Bay: water thoroughly when the top inch of mix is dry, then empty the saucer. Every 7 to 14 days is typical indoors.
• Rosemary: check every few days. Water when the top half inch is dry, before the whole pot dries. Rosemary rarely recovers from a single full dry-out, yet it rots in soggy mix, so a moisture meter is a real help.
• Use terracotta for both if you tend to overwater; clay breathes and dries evenly.
• Skip misting. It does little for humidity and encourages mildew on rosemary.

Keeping the topiary shape

Indoors both plants grow slowly, which is good news for a shaped standard or cone. Trim only the new tips to keep the outline:

1. Snip the soft tips back to just above a leaf pair with sharp snips. Use the trimmings in the kitchen.
2. Remove shoots on the trunk of a standard topiary as soon as they appear.
3. Turn the pot a quarter turn weekly so the head grows evenly toward the light.
4. Save hard shaping for spring, once the plant is back outside and growing.

When you trim, use clean, sharp snips or bypass pruners, cut away from your body, and keep your free hand clear of the blades. Close the blades and set them on a flat surface when you stop.

Pests and problems

• Scale on bay: small brown bumps on stems and leaf undersides, often with sticky residue. Scrape them off and wipe with a damp cloth; repeat weekly.
• Spider mites on rosemary: fine webbing and speckled leaves in warm, dry rooms. Rinse the plant in the shower and move it somewhere cooler.
• Powdery mildew on rosemary: white dust on leaves. Increase airflow, water at the soil only, and remove the worst stems.
• Browning rosemary from the tips down: almost always a watering problem, either a dry-out or wet, airless roots.
• Bay leaf drop after moving inside: usually acclimation stress. It recovers if the light is good.

Feed lightly, a half-strength liquid fertilizer every 6 to 8 weeks from late winter on. Repot in spring if roots circle the pot.

Pet notes

Bay laurel (Laurus nobilis) is listed as toxic to dogs, cats, and horses by the ASPCA and can cause vomiting and diarrhea. Rosemary is not listed as toxic to dogs or cats by the ASPCA. Keep bay topiaries off the floor where pets nap, sweep up dropped leaves, and call your veterinarian or the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center at (888) 426-4435 if a pet chews one. More detail: is rosemary safe for dogs and is rosemary safe for cats.

Bottom line

Bring bay and rosemary topiaries in before hard frost, set them in a bright, cool window with moving air, and water by touch: bay when the top inch dries, rosemary a little before it dries. Trim only the tips until spring, and both will be ready to go back outside in shape.

Related reading

• Herb bowls for kitchen windows in cool months
• Moving citrus and tropicals indoors for winter
• Overwintering geraniums indoors