Know How:
Encyclopaedia of trees- Choosing shrubs and trees
- Olives, Oranges and Co: Mediterranean crop plants
- Bay Laurel, True Laurel, Sweet Bay, Grecian Laurel, Laurel (Laurus nobilis)
Bay Laurel, True Laurel, Sweet Bay, Grecian Laurel, Laurel (Laurus nobilis)
The Bay Laurel is a tree or shrub whose leathery, aromatic leaves are used as a spice. Its oblong berries are black. A wreath of bay leaves has been a mark of distinction since Antiquity.
Leaves
Evergreen, elliptic leaves. Leaves are dark green above, pale green below. Length: 5 to 10 cm. Scalloped margin. Alternate arrangement.
Flowers
Flowering period: III to IV. Pale green or dull yellow flowers in axillary clusters.
Bark
Bark is mostly smooth, dark grey to blackish in colour. Branches are reddish at the tips, brownish below.
Photos
Application
Open country, open fields, pioneer tree, tip afforestation, slope stabilization, wind-break, public areas, parks, urban areas, roadside verges
Native regions
Mediterranean regions
Location parameters
Light: full sun to off-sun; soil: dry to fresh; soil structure: normal to loose; soil depth: medium to very deep; humus concentration: low to high, pH value: slightly acid to alkaline; nutrient concentration: very low to very high; soil: dry to fresh.
Demands
Urban climate: resistant; does not tolerate stagnant moisture.
Growth
Height of growth: 7 to 20 m. Spread: 6 to 10 m. Moderately rapid growth, often multi-stem, dense tree with closed crown.
Leaves
Evergreen, elliptic leaves. Leaves are dark green above, pale green below. Length: 5 to 10 cm. Scalloped margin. Alternate arrangement.
Flowers
Flowering period: III to IV. Pale green or dull yellow flowers in axillary clusters.
Fruits
Black elongated berries, approx. 1 to 1.5 cm in size.
Bark
Bark is mostly smooth, dark grey to blackish in colour. Branches are reddish at the tips, brownish below.