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Bay Laurel, (Laurus nobilis, Lauraceae)
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The bay trees successfully shade out all competition. Here near its thick trunk hardly
any other plants can grow.
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This bay laurel grew near the path so light allowed other plants to grow. Notice how dark
the grove of bay laurels appeared behind it.
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The leaves of the bay laurel are typically are 2 to 4 inches (6 to 12 cm) long and
0.5 to 1.5 inches (2 to 4 cm) broad. The edges of the leaves begin smooth, but serrate
and wrinkle as they mature.
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Because the bay laurel grows in tight groves, the leaves of one tree will intermingle with
the leaves of a neighboring tree.
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Bay Laurel is the source of the bay leaves, which are used for their flavor in cooking.
The spicy aromatic leaves can be used
to season soups and stews. But note that the wild leaves are four to five times as potent
than commercial sources.
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The laurel wreath
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Bay laurel trees grow in tight groves and create so much shade they can drive out
other grown covering plants.
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The bay laurel can grow to heights of 30 to 60 feet (10 to 18 meters). They are native
to the Mediterranean region, but easily grow anywhere with a similar climate, such as in
the California Bay Area.
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This individual bay laurel tree had three trunks growing from a single trunk at ground level.
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Moss grew on this particular grove of bay laurel trees. The moss coverage was most severe near the
tops of the trees.
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The trunk of the bay laurel tree was roughly textured. Bay laurel trees had few horizontal
branches so did not appear easy to climb.
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