Bay,The sweet laurel laurus noblius (Bay)

Member Name: mumsymary

Product:	Bay
Date:	20/09/06 (547 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: nice tree leaves good with fish

Disadvantages: maybe mistaken for the cherry laurel-- poisonous

Laurel

Did you know the bay tree is a laurel ?
I did not till today. There are several species of the bay/laurel tree
Sweet Laurel (Laurus nobilis)
The sweet laurel bay laurus noblius although first found in Asia Minor and the Mediterranean has grown in Britain since thec16c.

This laurus nobilius grows as a small tree about to about 25 foot, in warm countries it will grow taller.
This tree has a smooth bark. It is an evergreen, the leaves a narrow oval pointed shape (lanceolate) _they are thick and smooth a shiny green. The flowers are small and yellow the fruit black with a single seed.

The leaves are dried and stored for use.
Bay leaves can be used in cookery flavouring soups, stews, fish, and pickles.
The flavour is quite bitter,
If you buy dried bay leaves they might not be this plant but the American California bay (Umbellularia californica)

The word Bacca laureate means laurel berry this word is used to describe the exam equivalent to an A level.
The bay laurel tree leaves were used in ancient Greece to make a laurel wreath which the winner of the Pythian Games wore; these games were the forerunner of The Olympic Games. These called the wreath of honour.

The games were played to hour the god Apollo who wore a laurel wreath; he wore this in memory of Daphne a Greek nymph whose father turned her into a laurel tree so she could avoid Apollo’s amorous advances.
Autumn is quite a good time to plant a bay laurel tree they are available from http://www.crocus.co.uk/search/results/?q=bay%20la urel&x=5&y=9 where a3 foot tree costs about £8

Also grown in England native of Europe is the Cherry Laurel – Prunus laurocerasus Family - Rosaceae it is Also known as English Laurel, Cherry-Bay, Laurier-armande, Now you must not confuse these plants the cherry laurel is poisonous
This is also an evergreen with green shiny leaves this has white flowers in April which turn to a small black berry all parts contain poison Hydrogen Cyanide.
I f you are going to pick and use the bay laurel in cookery do make sure it is the correct laurel from other identification guides

Summary: A noble tree