Laurus nobilis - Bay laurel

Bay laurel (Laurus nobilis) is a slow-growing evergreen Mediterranean tree whose leaves are used fresh or dried as a culinary flavoring in soups, stews, and stocks. It tolerates drought, poor soil, and heavy pruning, and takes well to hedging.

Inputs

• Hardiness zone 8¹
• Hardiness zone 9¹
• Hardiness zone 10¹

Outputs

• Human food¹

Type

• Tree
• Evergreen

Functions

• Drought-tolerance¹
• Attracting bees¹
• Insect repellent¹
• Wildlife habitat¹
• Fire resistance²³

Footnotes

1. Laurus nobilis | Plants for a Future ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴ ↩⁵ ↩⁶ ↩⁷ ↩⁸

2. Fire Retardant Flora, Glen Forrest Volunteer Bush Fire Brigade, adapted from “Trees and Plants for Bush Fire Prone Areas,” Fire and Emergency Services Authority (Western Australia), 2002, listed as Laurel ↩

3. Fuel Modification Plant Selection Guidelines, Los Angeles County Fire Department, listed as Laurus nobilis — Sweet Bay, Zone B ↩