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Umbellularia californica - (Hook.&Arn.)Nutt.

California Laurel

Author	(Hook.&Arn.)Nutt.	Botanical references	11, 200
Family	Lauraceae	Genus	Umbellularia
Synonyms	Laurus regalis - Hort. Laurus regia - Douglas. Oreodaphne californica - Nees.
Known Hazards	The foliage can cause skin irritations[1, 11]. A volatile oil in the leaves can cause sneezing and headaches if inhaled[11].
Range	South-western N. America - California to Oregon.
Habitat	Lower mountain slopes, flatlands, hillsides etc, on various soils and often in shade[62, 94]. The best specimens are found in deep rich soils of valley bottoms[229].
Edibility Rating	4 (1-5)	Medicinal Rating	2 (1-5)

Physical Characteristics

An evergreen Tree growing to 25m by 10m at a medium rate.

The plant prefers light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils and requires well-drained soil. The plant prefers acid and neutral soils. It cannot grow in the shade. It requires moist soil.

Habitats

Woodland Garden; Canopy;

Edible Uses

Edible Parts: Fruit; Seed.

Edible Uses: Coffee; Condiment.

Seed - cooked[257]. It can be roasted and eaten or can be ground into a powder that is used with cereal flours in making bread[62, 105, 177, 183]. A bitter quality in the seed is dispensed by roasting or parching the seed[92, 161]. Fruit - raw or cooked[257]. The leaves are used as a condiment in cooked foods. They are a bayleaf substitute but with a much stronger flavour[2, 94, 238]. Used for flavouring soups, stews etc[183]. A tea is obtained from the leaves[2]. A coffee substitute is obtained from the root bark[161, 183].

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.

Analgesic; Antirheumatic; Nervine; Poultice; Salve; Stimulant; Stomachic.

California laurel was employed medicinally by some native North American Indian tribes who used it particularly as an analgesic to treat a variety of complaints[257]. It is still occasionally used in modern herbalism, being valued for its beneficial effect upon the digestive system. The leaves are analgesic, antirheumatic, nervine and stomachic[92, 94, 95, 238, 257]. Although the aroma of the leaves is known to cause headaches, they have also been used as an infusion and a poultice to treat this affliction[92, 94, 95, 238, 257]. The leaves are also used internally to treat neuralgia, intestinal cramps and gastro-enteritis[238]. An infusion has been used by women to ease the pains of afterbirth[257]. Externally, an infusion has been used as a bath in the treatment of rheumatism[257]. A decoction of the leaves has been used as a wash on sores and to remove vermin from the head[257]. They are harvested as required and can be used fresh or dried[238]. A poultice of the ground seeds has been used to treat sores[257]. The seeds have been eaten as a stimulant[257].

Other Uses

Dye; Essential; Incense; Repellent; Wood.

The leaves are used as an insect repellent, they are especially effective against fleas[62, 92, 94, 95, 169]. They have disinfectant properties and contain small quantities of camphor[95, 169]. The leaves are burnt as a fumigant to get rid of fleas[257]. The leaves have been hung in bunches to freshen the air[257]. The aroma of the leaves gives some people headaches[K]. An essential oil is obtained from the leaves by steam distillation[11, 46, 61, 82]. Beige and green dyes are obtained from the fruits (used without the seeds). Very aromatic, the dye retains its fragrance for many years[168]. Wood - hard, close grained, heavy, strong, takes a high polish. A beautifully textured wood, it is used for high quality cabinet making, panelling etc[61, 82, 94, 229].

Scented Plants

Leaves: Crushed

The leaves emit a powerful camphor-like scent when bruised[245]. So strong is the aroma that it can cause headaches and dizziness[245].

Cultivation details

Requires a well-drained moisture retentive lime-free soil in a sunny position[200]. Prefers an abundant supply of moisture in the growing season[82]. Older plants are hardy to about -15°c when growing in a position that is sheltered from cold drying winds, but young plants require some frost protection[200]. Even mature plants can be damaged in severe winters[1]. The leaves are harvested commercially in California and sold as a bay-leaf substitute[183]. The leaves emit a powerful camphor-like scent when bruised[245]. So strong is the aroma that it can cause headaches and dizziness[245]. A very large and beautiful tree fruited regularly at Kew, producing viable seed, until it was blown down in the severe storms of October 1987[K].

Propagation

Seed - it has a limited viability and is best sown as soon as it is ripe in the autumn in a greenhouse[200]. Stored seed should be sown as early in the year as possible in the greenhouse. In the wild the seed germinates as soon as it falls to the ground in the autumn[82]. 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. Cuttings of half-ripe wood, 7 - 10cm with a heel, July/August in a shaded frame. Pot up in spring. Good percentage[78, 200]. Layering.

Links

References

[K] Ken Fern
Notes from observations, tasting etc at Plants For A Future and on field trips.

[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.

[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.

[62] Elias. T. and Dykeman. P. A Field Guide to N. American Edible Wild Plants. Van Nostrand Reinhold 1982 ISBN 0442222009
Very readable.

[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.

[82] Sargent. C. S. Manual of the Trees of N. America. Dover Publications Inc. New York. 1965 ISBN 0-486-20278-X
Two volumes, a comprehensive listing of N. American trees though a bit out of date now. Good details on habitats, some details on plant uses. Not really for the casual reader.

[92] Balls. E. K. Early Uses of Californian Plants. University of California Press 1975 ISBN 0-520-00072-2
A nice readable book.

[94] Sweet. M. Common Edible and Useful Plants of the West. Naturegraph Co. 1962 ISBN 0-911010-54-8
Useful wild plants in Western N. America. A pocket guide.

[95] Saunders. C. F. Edible and Useful Wild Plants of the United States and Canada. Dover Publications 1976 ISBN 0-486-23310-3
Useful wild plants of America. A pocket guide.

[105] Tanaka. T. Tanaka's Cyclopaedia of Edible Plants of the World. Keigaku Publishing 1976
The most comprehensive guide to edible plants I've come across. Only the briefest entry for each species, though, and some of the entries are more than a little dubious. Not for the casual reader.

[161] Yanovsky. E. Food Plants of the N. American Indians. Publication no. 237. U.S. Depf of Agriculture. 0
A comprehensive but very terse guide. Not for the casual reader.

[168] Grae. I. Nature's Colors - Dyes from Plants. MacMillan Publishing Co. New York. 1974 ISBN 0-02-544950-8
A very good and readable book on dyeing.

[169] Buchanan. R. A Weavers Garden. 0
Covers all aspects of growing your own clothes, from fibre plants to dyes.

[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.

[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.

[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.

[229] Elias. T. The Complete Trees of N. America. Field Guide and Natural History. Van Nostrand Reinhold Co. 1980 ISBN 0442238622
A very good concise guide. Gives habitats, good descriptions, maps showing distribution and a few of the uses. It also includes the many shrubs that occasionally reach tree proportions.

[238] Bown. D. Encyclopaedia of Herbs and their Uses. Dorling Kindersley, London. 1995 ISBN 0-7513-020-31
A very well presented and informative book on herbs from around the globe. Plenty in it for both the casual reader and the serious student. Just one main quibble is the silly way of having two separate entries for each plant.

[245] Genders. R. Scented Flora of the World. Robert Hale. London. 1994 ISBN 0-7090-5440-8
An excellent, comprehensive book on scented plants giving a few other plant uses and brief cultivation details. There are no illustrations.

[257] Moerman. D. Native American Ethnobotany Timber Press. Oregon. 1998 ISBN 0-88192-453-9
Very comprehensive but terse guide to the native uses of plants. Excellent bibliography, fully referenced to each plant, giving a pathway to further information. Not for the casual reader.

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.

Umbellularia californica

Steven Edholm Tue Jan 11 02:03:23 2005

Link: Paleotechnics.com arts and technologies of early peoples Article on the California Bay tree, using the nuts etc...

Umbellularia californica

Kevin Feinstein Mon Sep 3 2007

This is one of my favorite plants with so many uses in my area (its native range) that I'm stunned this plant is not more widely known. I'm glad to see it given a 4 out of 5 for usefulness in a site based out of the UK. In my area, it is one of the most common wild trees, and I enjoy sitting under their shade on hot dry days. The nuts are such a unique and amazing food, that I can only think bad cultural and political thoughts when I think about why it is not a traded commodity (like chocolate or coffee.) There is a strong bias against foods that are native to California, demonstrating a pathological denial of the terrible genocide and ecocide that happened here. Another great use of this tree is for climbing, something that is rarely considered in landscaping.

feralkevin video and commentary from the emerging sustainable culture

Umbellularia californica

Sue Rasmussen Wed Sep 17 2008

We have a large Umbellularia californica growing in our yard. It has gotten so large that my husband wants to cut it down. Before he does, I want to find a small one to replace it. Do you know where these trees can be purchased? I can't find one anywhere. We live in Mount Vernon, Washington. Thanks for any info. Sue R.

Umbellularia californica

Danielle Mon Apr 13 2009

Hey Sue, Micheal has them at Burnt Ridge Nursery, just google it! Danny P.

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