I have a bush growing beside my water hose next to the house which receives part shade. My plant identifier app says it’s a bay laurel tree that the leaves are used as the bay leaf spice in soups. I just want to make double sure it’s not a poisonous plant. I have sent photos. I would appreciate any help in identifying the plant and thank you.
SOLVED: Identifying a bay laurel
It looks like a Camphor Tree to me. Have you tried crushing a leaf and smelling it?
Definitely not bay laurel (Laurus nobilis) or California bay.
Thank you for your reply. I didn’t know what a bay leaf smelled like but I had some dried bay leaves in my spice cabinet and crushed and smelled that and then crushed the new leaf and they smelled similar. The new leaf was stronger. I gave the test to my husband and he said they smelled almost identical. The smell from the new leaf is a cross between a spicy and medicine smell. I smell the same notes in the dried leaves but more subdued.
Thank you both, I live in central Florida if that helps. It thrives in 80 to 90 degree weather and high humidity.
Ok I believe this is a Portugal laurel. Good for toparies, not good for soup. It makes sense it would be by the water hose, they grow by stream in the wild. It could of been planted by previous owners or birds spread seeds. That happens a lot with the birds here, maybe a bird that flew south for the winter?
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