Can reach 60 feet high in native lands but seldom reaches 6 feet high when grown in a pot in cooler clima tes. Give the tree full sun or light shade and keep it out of blustery winds. If you bring it indoors in winter, put it in a cool, brightly lit location.
Healthy trees respond well to pruning and shearing.
Buy your tree from a nursery. Once it's growing you can try taking cuttings, but they take many months to root. But be sure to pull the leaves out before serving so no one chokes on them. You can also dry and pulverize bay leaves to use as a powder in cooking. Or use whole leaves in potpourri and herbal wreaths.