22. Bay Laurel

Specimen Size: 38.5ft tall, 6.25in in diameter.

Location: East side of the northern entrance to Sieg Hall, nearest the HUB lawn.

Historical Background: Sniff these trees. Scratch a leaf or twig with your fingernail and inhale the spritely fragrance of sweet bay, renowned for its use as a flavoring since ancient Grecian times in European varieties. This tree is a Mediterranean native that thrives in warm arid conditions and suffers damage in severely cold winters. As an element in Italian, formal, or herbal gardens, bay laurels are indispensable. The highly aromatic leaves can be used as an insect repellent, food flavoring, and can be used to protect stored grains and beans from weevils. The wood is sweetly scented and is used as a veneer, for walking sticks, and for friction sticks for starting fires. Other members of the Laurel family may be found across the world. In Chinese folklore there is a great laurel tree on the moon, and the Chinese name for the laurel translates to “moon laurel”. A wreath of laurel boughs was presented to the victors of athletic competitions, ancient Olympics, and poetic meets in ancient Greece. The California Bay Laurel (Umbellularia californica) found on our own west coast of North America is highly resistant to pests and diseases, and it is said to protect neighboring plants from these pathogens as well.

Non-native

Native Range: The Mediterranean.

Identifying Features: As noted in the background above, a key feature of this species is its scent, which is immensely aromatic when folded or crushed in one's hand. They are edible but generally preferred for flavoring as the leaves are quite thick and leathery. It has lush dark green elliptical leaves, far paler and yellowish beneath, which make a dense cylindrical crown shape. They persist for about two years on this evergreen before shedding, turning yellow or orange before doing so such that the tree is speckled with these colors.

Identifying Features In Depth:

1. Form: A forked multi stemmed evergreen with ascending branches and a broad dense rounded crown of dark glossy green, often with yellow flecks. This tree can achieve heights of around 49’ (15m), however, it usually manifests as a small spreading shrub.

2. Leaves: Evergreen, elliptical or lance shaped with edges slightly turned under. The smooth margins taper to sharp pointed or rounded ends. They are thick and leathery, shiny dark green to blue-green on top and more pale underneath, with a prominent network of veins. They are generally 1-3” (2.5-7.2cm) in length and variable on the same tree. After about two years individual leaves turn yellow or orange before falling to the ground.

3. Bark: A light or dark grey in color, with slight fissures and generally very thin. Smoother on younger trees and new growth. Twigs are hairy and yellow-green when young, turning reddish brown with age.

4. Reproductive Bodies: This tree produces numerous ¼” (6mm) long pale yellow to white-green flowers which cluster together at leaf bases. They give rise to a round black berry, with a single seed wrapped in the pulp.