The Herbarium
Part XII · Lookalikes
Field pair
Oleander for bay
Oleander and Bay laurel — take this sheet to the bed, not a guess to the kettle.
Deadly mix-upNursery
Oleander for bay
A Mediterranean shrub sold next to culinary bay. One leaf in a stew has killed. Nerium is not Laurus.
Bay laurel has a single, aromatic, leathery leaf with an undulate edge and a kitchen smell. Oleander leaves come in whorls of three, milky sap, no culinary scent. Never cook from a hedge you cannot name.
The Herbarium — a teaching catalog, not a clinic. Traditional use is history, not a prescription. USDA 6b dates are a week either way, not a promise. Do not eat, drink, or harvest a plant you cannot name.