How to Grow and Care for Bay Laurel Trees Laurus nobilis
Bay laurel is an aromatic evergreen tree in the flowering Lauraceae family. It features shiny, dark green oval-shaped leaves with a leathery texture that are popularly used as a kitchen seasoning.
Native to the Mediterranean region, it’s considered to be one of the oldest of cultivated trees. Other common names include sweet, true, and Grecian laurel.
Planted in the garden, it can reach a mature height of 25 to 55 feet, although most are kept at two to eight feet with persistent trimming.
Small clumps of yellow flowers form in spring, followed by small purple drupes that contain a single seed.
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Highly prized as an ornamental, L. nobilis is often trimmed into topiary shapes, and the trunks can be trained into braids and spirals.
They also do very well in containers, making a handsome specimen for the patio, or simply to keep nearby as a kitchen herb.
And their beautiful glossy leaves make a handsome, long-lasting addition to bouquets of cut flowers and seasonal arrangements like Christmas wreaths and swags.
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The Crown of Victory
Steeped in history and myth, wreaths of L. nobilis have been used to symbolize victory, personal achievement, and social status since antiquity.
As far back as 776 BC, ancient Greeks used the leaves to crown the victors of athletic competitions, the precursors of the modern Olympic games.
This idea carried into the Roman era, when emperors wore a wreath like a crown to denote their divine lineage.
And during the Renaissance, after doctors completed their final examinations, they were adorned with
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