i got a little tree at Almost Eden mailorder nursery and was reasonable, doing well

Might try calling Rohde's in Garland. They specialize in plants that do well in north central Texas and cater to spice growers with a large herb selection, so might be able to offer some advice.

Here is a link that might be useful: Rohde's Nursery and Nature Store

I have had a bay in the ground on the south side of my house for at least 10 years. It got over 8 feet tall and I pruned it down to about 6 feet this spring. It is evergreen and provides bay leaves for me and everyone i know. Bought it in the herb department at Redenta's.

Nana, I had a very large one (8-10 feet tall) at my house in Euless - it almost died one year when my sprinkler in the corner stopped working, so then it was more shrub-sized. It was on the east side of a utility building under a neighbor's fruitless mulberry.

Of the 3 I had growing at my place in east Texas, the only one that has survived is on the north side of my deck, next to my hardy orange-not-an-orange. From what I've read, they can stand cold or wind but not cold winds.

FWIW, they are easy to start from cuttings - they just take a long time to root (like 3 months). I've bought small ones at Redenta's Garden in Arlington and Marshall Grain in Grapevine.

If your still looking for this, I was at Mike's garden Center in Southlake yesterday and they had Bay Laurel.