Laurus nobilis - Bay Tree, Bay Laurel

The Bay Tree is an incredibly versatile Mediterranean evergreen shrub with narrow, ovate leaves that have a leathery texture and an aromatic smell all year round. It is an invaluable culinary plant in the kitchen, the leaves can be added to numerous dishes such as stews, curries, casseroles and are among the main ingredients of bouquet garni. The leaves add a lovely fragrant flavour and can be used from fresh or dried. It has a very attractive shape and can be enjoyed individually as an ornamental tree or combined to form a hedge. Kept neatly clipped, the dark-green foliage can create stunning formal shapes that will grace your doorway or look perfect when placed on a patio. The Sweet Bay also lends itself perfectly to indoor container gardening. It is dioecius, with male and female blooms on separate plants. The pale yellow-green flowers are full of pollen which welcome the bees and the butterflies.

The intended main use of this plant is to grow food for human consumption. We always recommend further research to learn the different ways in which the food source can be prepared and consumed.