Red Bay Tree

Hard to find but easy to love, Red Bay is a native shade tree with major benefits for wildlife. This is the source of Bay Leaves used in cooking. It’s evergreen, produces berries enjoyed by birds, and supports the caterpillars of the Spicebush Swallowtail and Palamedes Swallowtail.

If you plant it near a building or power lines, make sure it’s pruned regularly. The branches are not as strong as the branches on other common shade trees so it’s susceptible to breaking in strong winds.