Species

Laurus nobilis

Common Name(s)

bay tree, laurel

Authority

Laurus nobilis L.

Family

Lauraceae

Flora Category

Vascular - Exotic

NVS Species Code

LAUNOB

The National Vegetation Survey (NVS) Databank is a physical archive and electronic databank containing records of over 94,000 vegetation survey plots - including data from over 19,000 permanent plots. NVS maintains a standard set of species code abbreviations that correspond to standard scientific plant names from the Ngä Tipu o Aotearoa - New Zealand Plants database.

Structural Class

Dicotyledonous Trees & Shrubs

Habitat

Terrestrial. Persistent cultivation relic, can invade intact bush, waste land and scrub.

Features

Large dioecious shrub or small tree to about 7 m. Usually multi-stemmed with smooth trunks, stems and leaves hairless. The leaves are aromatic (especially when crushed) petiole up to 13 mm long often purplish. Lamina to about 13 x 4.5 cm, narrow elliptic with a slightly wavy margin. Male flowers are yellow while female flowers are white and are on separate plants. Fruits are black berries.

Similar Taxa

Has been confused with L. azorica. L. nobilis is reported to have shorter petioles and is less hairy, but there may be considerable overlap.

Flowering

September, October, November

Flower Colours

White,Yellow

Year Naturalised

1983

Origin

Mediterranean

Reason for Introduction

Ornamental, culinary

Life Cycle and Dispersal

Reproduces by seed and suckers. Many of the trees in cultivation are male, so spread only by suckers. Where females are present many seeds are produced. Dispersed by birds and people.

Tolerances

Very shade tolerant.




This page last updated on 30 Jul 2014