Subject: Re: Umbellularia californica

From: [email-masked] (jacque greenleaf)
Date: Tue, 08 Aug 1995 21:27:09 -0700

In article <[email-masked]>, Piers Trehane
<[email-masked]> wrote:

> In article <[email-masked]>
>            [email-masked] "Andreas Kraska" writes:
> 
> > Hi !
> > 
> > Does anybody know the english or german name of the tree
> > * Umbellularia californica *  ?
> > The leaves are smelling like a spice ?!
>  
> California laurel or California olive according to Mabberley, "The Plant-Book"
> (987).  I suppose you could translate that to German!
>

this shrub is native to northern California and southwest Oregon. In
California they call it California bay/laurel (I never heard of anyone
calling it California olive), and here in Oregon it is often called Oregon
myrtle. 

It normally grows as a large multi-stemmed shrub, but on good sites with
deep soil, it will become a tall and beautiful tree.  Its wood is used to
make such tourist souvenires as salad bowls, and is finegrained and glossy.
And yes, its leaves can be used as a substitute for bay leaves in cooking -
those who know, say it is inferior to real bay.

It's one of my favorite native plants.

---

From: [email-masked] (Michelle Geary-Mallett)
Date: 11 Aug 1995 18:25:06 GMT

It is perhaps worth mentioning that _Umbellularia_ is in the same family 
(Lauraceae) as the _Laurus nobilis_ of the Mediterranean.  I don't know 
if _Laurus_ grows or grew in the palestinian area though.  

This is one tough and pretty nifty tree/shrub.  I am using it as a study 
plant for part of my PhD..

mische