ABSTRACT
Bay laurel is a pyramidal, evergreen, broadleaf shrub or tree that occasionally exceeds 20 m (66 ft.) in height. Its leaves are stiff. Yellowish or greenish-white §owers, about 3 mm (1/8 in.) across, are produced in the spring. The berries are about 15 mm (5/8 in.) in diameter, green when young, turning dark purple or black as they ripen toward the autumn. Bay laurel is native to western Asia Minor and perhaps parts of the European Mediterranean. It was distributed throughout the Mediterranean by people over 2000 years ago and was familiar to ancient Greek and Roman civilizations. It is now cultivated in many subtropical regions of the world, including those around the Mediterranean, the Caribbean, Central America, and the warmer parts of North America.
