Debbie, bay laurel (Laurus nobilis ) is generally considered to be hardy to zone 8. You're in 7b in Raleigh. I've read reports of bay laurel making it in North Carolina, because plants definitely don't always pay attention to what zone they're supposed to be growing in, but I would not put a small plant that had been grown in a greenhouse setting, which yours probably was, out into the cold of winter. Keep it inside, giving it as much light as possible, and keep temperatures on the cool ...»

I know someone who has an outdoor tree in middle Georgia but I agree with Doug: keep it indoors now....but it's a gamble to plant it outdoors in your area.

Anne planted her "cute little bay plant" as a 5 inch plant about 25 years ago. It is now almost as tall as her 3-story house. It is planted at the northeast corner and is protected from winds. I planted it in late spring and have it in an area that has gravel for a parking pad. It survived; the one in the greenhouse did not!