Herb. No. 102 · Lauraceae
True laurel of the Mediterranean maquis. A pot tree north of the frost line.
Native · Mediterranean
Native Also grown
LegalGentleplant
Bay laurel
Laurus nobilis
Medicinal herbsKitchenHarvestLookalikes
The soup leaf of the Mediterranean — a pot shrub whose dried blade flavors broth and beans.
True bay is Laurus nobilis, the Greco-Roman wreath tree. A leaf or two in a long simmer is the traditional dose. Fresh leaf is greener and more cineole; dried is the pantry form. Do not confuse the word ‘laurel’ with Kalmia or Prunus laurocerasus — those are other, poisonous plants.
Flavor
Warm, resinous, clove-pine. One leaf is a meal; five is a pine forest.
Parts used
Leaf
Helpful
- A single pot tree lasts decades
- Dried leaf keeps a year
Cautions
- Tender in hard frost
- Name-confusion with toxic laurels