Page 12 - Edible Trees For Tucson

Bay Laurel

Laurus nobilis Lauraceae

D ESCRIPTI O N
An adaptable evergreen tree with dense foliage
and shiny, grey bark. Leaves are pointed,
elliptical, thick and leathery in texture, smooth
along the margins; bright green and glossy when
young, darker green when mature. The leaves are
crushed to release aromatic ooils.

E THN O B O T ANI CAL N O TES

• Native to the Mediterranean region where
laurel forests used to be widespread.
• Found in natural habitats of canyons,
mountainsides, and near old, stone walls.
• Laurel is a symbol of peace, nobility and
victory; branches were used to make head
wreaths for emperors, generals and poets.
• Now grown commercially in Turkey,
Algeria, Morocco, Portugal, Spain, Italy,
France and Mexico.
• Cultivars include ‘Aurea,’ with yellowish
young foliage; ‘Angustifolia’ or ‘Willow-leaf
bay,’ with narrow lance-shaped leaves; and
‘Undulata,’ with wavy-leaf margins.

P L ANTIN G N O TES
Bay laurel trees are slow-growing and do well in
containers, hedges, as topiary sculptures, or as
small shrubs to tall trees in gardens.
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