Also related to cinnamon is the Camphor tree, or Cinnamomum camphora, which is also known as camphor laurel or camphor wood. It grows best in full sun to part shade, and when planted in full sun and watered regularly, it can grow as much as 4 feet each year. It is a large hardwood tree inherent to coastal forests of California and coastal forests that extends to Oregon. Its third edition, released in spring of 2010, includes much new material, including new planting calendars that carry its usefulness much farther inland than previous editions. My Recipe Calls for Eggs in Cup Amounts - How Many Eggs? However, the California bay does have a harsher flavor. My question: How can I tell which kind lives behind my house? and Julius Caesar wore a laurel wreath as a symbol of his supremacy. The genus Laurus includes four accepted species, whose diagnostic key characters often overlap.. Right now, the leaves don't seem very strongly scented. During the summer, there were a multitude of little whitish yellow flowers covering it, so I don't think the tree is too unhappy, but I am no arborist. California Bay nuts are a native food that can be cooked and ground into a flour, imparting a rich coffee-chocolate flavor to baked goods. This article contains one or more Amazon affiliate links. It can also be brewed and used as a stimulating coffee substitute! It still is used sometimes for making small batches of root beer microbrew. Please contact for permissions. The California bay leaves, or Umbellularia californica come from a bay leave that is related to the bay laurel. Botanical Name: Laurus nobilis. Plus, the Bay Laurel is known for its many perks, including rich evergreen foliage and no-hassle care. Pam Peirce's classic regional book, "Golden Gate Gardening," has been helping California gardeners grow food since 1993. Bay Laurel (Sweet Bay) - Laurus nobilis - 1 Gallon Pot Most known for its flavorful and aromatic leaves that are used to add earthy flavor to stews, soups and sauces and for potpourri, the Bay Laurel, also known as Sweet Bay, is an exceptionally versatile ornamental evergreen tree from the Mediterranean. The bay laurel is dioecious (), with male and female flowers on separate plants. It was also a tradition, in Ancient Greece, that a person’s hair might be decorated with certain objects that would identify their occupation, or rank, or achievements (such as Olympic victory). Bay leaves come from an ancient Mediterranean tree called the bay laurel tree or Laurus nobilis, from the family Lauraceae. If you are an American reader, you probably know what bay leaves are. And they're healthy, too,having a nutritional value similar to walnuts. You’ve cooked with them many times. In French, the bay leaf is feuille de laurier. But when we think of laurel leaves, we may well think of the Olympic games. To be really sure, you should look at the fruit and possibly the flowers. He was in love with Daphne, who was the daughter of the River God, Peneus (identification varies). The fragrance is much more aromatic than that of its Mediterranean relative, and it can … The bay laurel tree is responsible for all the bay leaves you use in cooking. The laurel leaf was a symbol of victory in ancient Greek mythology. The leaves of this species gives camphor oil. It is found throughout the Klamath Range, Coast Ranges, Transverse Range and Sierra foothills and is especially numerous between Sonoma and Santa Cruz Countis. Neither leaves will have much scent unless you crush them and smell the broken edges, though when you cook them, the scent permeates the cooking liquid. Mexican bay leaf (Litsea glaucescens) is often used in place of Laurus nobilis.The leaves are rich in essential oils.. California laurel (Umbellularia californica), also known as Oregon myrtle or pepperwood, is safe to use for culinary purposes, although the flavor is more pungent and intense than Laurus nobilis.. Non-Edible Bay Leaves. Because the trees look so similar, it's a challenge to explain how to tell which you have. They were a symbol of victory, power, achievement, and even love in the ancient world (Apollo’s love was forced upon him by a magic arrow, unfortunately, just as Daphne’s refusal of love). Both are evergreen, and yes, it is normal for them to drop some of their leaves each year. And they grow 1 1/2 to 3 feet tall (depending on which seeds you buy). However, they are much stronger! No Caster Sugar for Your Recipe? See, Medley Hills Farm Gourmet Turkish Bay Leaves. On good bottomland sites, mature trees can attain diameter… Although we tend to think of all these ancient Greek events as “games,” they were also big religious festivals, and the Pythian festival was in honor of Apollo. Prunus laurocerasus, which has been used to make laurel leaves, is an ornamental plant and should not be used for cooking, as its leaves and berries are poisonous to humans. Conveniently located within walking distance to shopping, restaurants, and community parks, Bay Laurel also offers a relaxing swimming pool and spa, communal barbeque area, 2 handy laundry rooms with plenty of washers and dryers, a play area featuring a colorful 2-story Monkey Mansion Playhouse, plenty of covered and open parking, and a central gazebo area with seating for quiet gatherings. It is native to California Floristic Province. Only the female trees will fruit. No Problem, Here's a Substitute. See  Panhellenic games. Effortless Cooking and Fragrance Why Bay Laurels? California bay leaves have a potent, eucalyptus-like flavor, whereas Turkish bay leaves have a tea-like, mildly menthol flavor profile. All Rights Reserved. They are also rather unassuming-looking trees and will grow large enough to block out light and block the views of your neighbors. It's not easy to tell two laurel species apart. As nouns the difference between laurel and bay. An outstanding, fragrant tree that wows - the Bay Laurel is second to none. It is endemic to the California Floristic Province. The related L. canariensis, native to the Canary Islands and Madeira, is less hardy than sweet bay and has … The Mediterranean tree, which is known as bay laurel, is Laurus nobilis. Bay Laurel Nursery 2500 El Camino Real Atascadero CA 93422 Tel 805 466 3406 Fax 805 466 6455 ©2020 Bay Laurel Nursery About this site/Report issues . All parts of the California Bay Laurel, especially the leaves, contain a distinctively aromatic camphor-like volatile oil that has cooling, irritating, germicidal, and insecticidal qualities. In addition, although the tree is hardly deciduous, it does seem to be rapidly dropping a large number of yellow leaves right now. If you had fresh leaves of both trees, you could crush and compare the scents. A: The two trees you speak of are different species. That of the bay laurel is similar but about half as big. Bay Laurel is an evergreen tree in the Lauraceae family that is native to coastal forests of California at elevations from 0-5000 feet. While you wouldn't want to eat any quantity of either leaf, because of their toughness and the aromatic oils they contain, both are safe to use in cooking. What is left in the packet, you can transfer to a jar with a tight cap. Grow a citrus instead. I am interested in using the leaves for cooking, if possible. I had one on Buena Vista Heights. This fungal disease is transferred by an alien beetle and is wiping out our native bay trees. California bay leaves can be a bit longer, at 3 to 5 inches, than those of bay laurel, which are 2 to 4 inches, but there is enough variability that a particular tree could be somewhere in between. Yes, our California Bay Laurel leaves can be used in cooking much like the leaves of the European Laurus Nobilis. The fruit ripens from September to November, and the seeds inside are consumed by squirrels, Steller’s jays, and dusky-footed woodrats. All parts of the California Bay Laurel, especially the leaves, contain a distinctively aromatic camphor-like volatile oil that has cooling, irritating, germicidal, and insecticidal qualities. Later, in the sixth century at the Pythian Games in Delphi, laurel leaf wreaths were awarded. This fungal disease is transferred by an alien beetle and is wiping out our native bay trees. Bay Laurel is an evergreen tree in the Lauraceae family that is native to coastal forests of California at elevations from 0-5000 feet. Or: The buds on this bay laurel (Laurus nobilis) will open in spring, revealing whether it is a tree with male or female flowers. As a seasoning, dried leaves are broken or crumbled into cooking foods and allowed to permeate the dish. These seeds are available at J.L. That’s how potent they are. It is a broadleaved evergreen tree with distinctly aromatic “bay” leaves. (I'm more concerned about poisoning than a difference in taste.) California Bay is an undervalued food and medicine source, important to Native American cultures for thousands of years. The leaves dont soften much in cooking and are removed before eati… Other common names for this species include bay, bay laurel, grecian laurel, laurel and true laurel. She asked her father to help her escape, so he turned her into a laurel tree. See full disclosure. And in education, the term baccalaureate and bachelor are derived from the word baccalareus or laurel berry, stemming from the Roman tradition of awarding great scholars or poets with laurel wreaths. These had ceased to be made with actual laurels, and were made instead with gold and precious stones. Storing bay leaves. The California bay tree Umbellularia californica is not the same plant, but has a similar flavor and can be used just like common bay laurel in many cases. Mexican bay leaf (Litsea glaucescens) is often used in place of Laurus nobilis.The leaves are rich in essential oils.. California laurel (Umbellularia californica), also known as Oregon myrtle or pepperwood, is safe to use for culinary purposes, although the flavor is more pungent and intense than Laurus nobilis.. Non-Edible Bay Leaves. It's sometimes called "headache tree" for this reason. Sources say the bay laurel leaf has a sharper point, but my tree's leaves have rather blunt tips. Colds 3. In partial shade with less-frequent watering, it is a slow-growing yet lovely plant. Having fruit, you could tell the difference by the fruit size. It is the one used historically to flavor soups or sauces, then discarded rather than actually eaten. I hand select each leaf for perfection and health. From that day on, Apollo absolved to wear a wreath of laurels on his head. There is also an American relative,  Prunus caroliniana, which is also cherry laurel, also toxic. These games are sometimes known as “Crown Games” because of the wreaths awarded. All California bays can form fruit because the flowers have both stamens and pistils. She taught horticulture at City College of San Francisco for 30 years, and continues to lecture and teach independently. These are beautifully figured live edge slabs of California Bay Laurel, also known as Myrtle or Pepperwood. Our website is now open for orders that will ship February & March 2021. Dear Bay Laurel Families: Welcome to the 2020-201 School year! If you bring your bay laurel inside for the winter, it should be kept in a bright cool room, ideally at around 50 °F. California Bay nuts are a native food that can be cooked and ground into a flour, imparting a rich coffee-chocolate flavor to baked goods. Beware of toxic bay-like trees. Bay Laurel Catering is currently operating with a limited staff and menu due to the coronavirus. Often referred to as myrtlewood, California-laurel is one of the best known and most valuable western hardwoods. I know that there are two main kinds of bay trees in this region, the California bay and the Mediterranean. The related California laurel (Umbellularia californica) is an ornamental tree also called the bay tree. Print These provide the inspiration for Bay Laurel Culinary’s Private Chef and Boutique Catering services. The bay fruit also freezes well, he says, for sauces or … Loss Of Appetite 5. Online order site is currently closed. It comes from a shrubby evergreen tree, a different species altogether from the bay, or laurel, tree that produces Turkish bay leaves and grows throughout the Mediterranean. Our website is now open for orders that will ship February & March 2021 Bare Root Table Grapes Bay leaves, or laurel, are more aromatic when dried. Today, they are cultivated in Greece, Spain, Portugal, Asia Minor and Central America. This gives the leaves or seeds the smell of almonds when crushed. Leaves closeup (Bay Laurel leaves have smooth edges) Nuts Dead leaves on a bay tree suffering Laurel Wilt. Besides bay leaves, laurel leaves, or bay laurel, they are also sometimes called sweet bay or true laurel. Aluminum Foil: Should the Shiny Side be Up or Down When Cooking? There is another type of plant that is also referred to as “laurel.” This is Prunus laurocerasus of the family Rosaceae (rose family). For another source of a wide variety of regionally adapted annual poppies, try Annie's Annuals (call (888) 266-4370 or go to anniesannuals.com), which offers plants in season. Bay Laurel Tips. California bay laurel drupes are round, less than an inch (2.5 centimeters) in diameter, and green to reddish-purple in color. Yes, the laurel leaf and the bay leaf are the same thing. It is not related to the true laurel, or Laurus nobilis. Her book "Wildly Successful Plants: Northern California" provides basic instruction in ornamental gardening while profiling 50 heirloom plants that are easy in regional gardens. It is also the tree the Romans used to make a leafy crown symbolizing victory. Our online order site is closed. But humans love it too. Note also that you should allow the leaves to pile up under an avocado tree, rather than raking. This versatile, amazing little variety has an array of uses and can even be trained as a topiary. Adaptable and easy to grow, California bay laurel is native to the West Coast. Currently there's no cure. is that laurel is an evergreen shrub, of the genus laurus , having aromatic leaves of a lanceolate shape, with clusters of small, yellowish white flowers in their axils while bay is (obsolete) a berry or bay can be (geography) a body of water (especially the sea) more or less three-quarters surrounded by land or bay can be an opening in a wall, especially between two columns or bay can be the excited barking of dogs when hunting or … You won’t be using an entire packet for a single dish because you only need a piece or two. The berries are also used for flavoring, and the wood is used for smoking, but the laurel tree itself, with wood that resembles walnut in grain and color, is good for making decorative cabinetry and other fine furniture. Reaching 7–18 m ( 23–59 ft ) tall is feuille de laurier into pots while cooking names this... 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