The Bay Leaf plant is also known as Bay Laurel, Sweet Bay, Indian Bay, Laurel, Bay Laurel, Sweet Laurel, Grecian Laurel, Roman Laurel and Royal Laurel.
GENERAL DESCRIPTION AND INFORMATION:
The Bay Leaf plant is actually a tall stately tree that can grow to the height of fifty feet in the warmer climates. It is more often grown in tubs as an ornamental shrub. Its leaves are shiny, pointed, dark green and grow 1 to 3 inches long.
It has white clusters of flowers that appear in May. It also has small, red-blue single-seeded berries that later turn black and are about ½ inch in size. When bay leaves are dried they have a matte olive green color. The Bay Leaf has a slightly bitter taste and when the oil is released the smell is warm and pungent.
The Bay tree is native to Asia Minor from where it spread to the Mediterranean and other countries that had similar climates. The Bay leaf has been cultivated since ancient times. In Biblical times, people thought Bay leaves would bring good to them and they saw it as a protection against evil.
Commercially, the Bay Leaf plant is used as detergents, toothpaste, cosmetics, perfumes, and liqueurs.