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Laurelia sempervirens - (Ruiz.&Pav.)Tul.

Chilean Laurel

Author	(Ruiz.&Pav.)Tul.	Botanical references	11, 200
Family	Atherospermataceae	Genus	Laurelia
Synonyms	Laurelia aromatica - non Poir. Laurelia serrata - Bertero. non Phil.
Known Hazards	None known
Range	S. America - Chile.
Habitat	Moist and wet soils in forests, deep gullies and creek beds[200].
Edibility Rating	2 (1-5)	Medicinal Rating	1 (1-5)

Physical Characteristics

An evergreen Tree growing to 15m by 15m.

The plant prefers light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils. The plant prefers acid, neutral and basic (alkaline) soils. It can grow in semi-shade (light woodland) or no shade. It requires moist soil.

Habitats

Woodland Garden; Secondary; Dappled Shade;

Edible Uses

Edible Uses: Condiment.

The bark and leaves are used as a spice[183]. The fruit and the seed are used[2, 46, 61, 177].

Medicinal Uses

Plants For A Future can not take any responsibility for any adverse effects from the use of plants. Always seek advice from a professional before using a plant medicinally.

Nervine; Skin; Stomachic; VD.

Nervine, skin. It is also used in the treatment of colds, paralysis, stomach problems and VD[139].

Other Uses

Wood.

Wood - not durable, malodorous if cut across the grain. Used in construction[139]. It burns well but gives little heat[139].

Scented Plants

Leaves: Crushed

The foliage is very aromatic.

Cultivation details

Succeeds in sun or semi-shade in any moderately fertile soil, including a limey soil, so long as it does not dry out in the growing season[200]. Requires a warm position sheltered from cold winds[200]. This species is not very hardy in Britain, tolerating temperatures down to about -5°c[200]. It succeeds outdoors in the mildest areas of the country[1], growing well and flowering regularly in Cornwall[11, 59]. Another report says that plants have withstood temperatures down to -11°c[104]. The foliage is very aromatic[188]. Closely related to L. serrata[182]. Another report says that L. serrata is a synonym for this species[200]. Plants are often dioecious, male and female plants will need to be grown if fruit and seed is required.

Propagation

Seed - sow February or March in a warm greenhouse. Germination rates are variable[78]. When they are large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and grow them on in the greenhouse for at least their first winter. Plant them out into their permanent positions in late spring or early summer, after the last expected frosts, and consider giving them some protection from the cold for their first winter or two outdoors. Cuttings of half-ripe wood, 5 - 8cm with a heel, July/August in individual pots in sandy soil in a frame. Keep them moist. Fair percentage[78]. Layering in spring[78].

Links

References

[1] F. Chittendon. RHS Dictionary of Plants plus Supplement. 1956 Oxford University Press 1951
Comprehensive listing of species and how to grow them. Somewhat outdated, it has been replaces in 1992 by a new dictionary (see [200]).

[2] Hedrick. U. P. Sturtevant's Edible Plants of the World. Dover Publications 1972 ISBN 0-486-20459-6
Lots of entries, quite a lot of information in most entries and references.

[11] Bean. W. Trees and Shrubs Hardy in Great Britain. Vol 1 - 4 and Supplement. Murray 1981
A classic with a wealth of information on the plants, but poor on pictures.

[46] Uphof. J. C. Th. Dictionary of Economic Plants. Weinheim 1959
An excellent and very comprehensive guide but it only gives very short descriptions of the uses without any details of how to utilize the plants. Not for the casual reader.

[59] Thurston. Trees and Shrubs in Cornwall. 0
Trees and shrubs that succeed in Cornwall based on the authors own observations. Good but rather dated.

[61] Usher. G. A Dictionary of Plants Used by Man. Constable 1974 ISBN 0094579202
Forget the sexist title, this is one of the best books on the subject. Lists a very extensive range of useful plants from around the world with very brief details of the uses. Not for the casual reader.

[78] Sheat. W. G. Propagation of Trees, Shrubs and Conifers. MacMillan and Co 1948
A bit dated but a good book on propagation techniques with specific details for a wide range of plants.

[104] RHS. The Garden. Volume 111. Royal Horticultural Society 1986
Snippets of information from the magazine of the RHS, including an article in Crambe maritima and another on several species thought to be tender that are succeeding in a S. Devon garden.

[139] ? Flora of Chile. (in Spanish) 0
Some information about the useful plants of Chile.

[177] Kunkel. G. Plants for Human Consumption. Koeltz Scientific Books 1984 ISBN 3874292169
An excellent book for the dedicated. A comprehensive listing of latin names with a brief list of edible parts.

[182] Thomas. G. S. Ornamental Shrubs, Climbers and Bamboos. Murray 1992 ISBN 0-7195-5043-2
Contains a wide range of plants with a brief description, mainly of their ornamental value but also usually of cultivation details and varieties.

[183] Facciola. S. Cornucopia - A Source Book of Edible Plants. Kampong Publications 1990 ISBN 0-9628087-0-9
Excellent. Contains a very wide range of conventional and unconventional food plants (including tropical) and where they can be obtained (mainly N. American nurseries but also research institutes and a lot of other nurseries from around the world.

[188] Brickell. C. The RHS Gardener's Encyclopedia of Plants and Flowers Dorling Kindersley Publishers Ltd. 1990 ISBN 0-86318-386-7
Excellent range of photographs, some cultivation details but very little information on plant uses.

[200] Huxley. A. The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. MacMillan Press 1992 ISBN 0-333-47494-5
Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.

Readers Comments

Plants for a Future does not verify the accuracy of reader comments, use at your own risk. In particular Plants For A Future can not take any responsibility for any adverse effects from the use of plants. You should always consult a professional before using plants medicinally.

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