Search Fact Sheets Virginia Tech Dendrology

laurel Lauraceae Laurus nobilis L. Listen to the Latin Print a QR link to this factsheet symbol: LANO80
Leaf: Alternate, simple, entire or somewhat wavy margins, elliptical to lance-shaped, evergreen and somewhat leathery, 4 inches long, 1 to 2 inches wide, spicy odor when crushed, yellow-green and shiny above, pale green below.
Flower: Species is dioecious; small but quite showy, both male and females are bright yellow-green, borne on short racemes appearing in early to mid-spring.
Fruit: Dark blue round drupe 1/2 inch long; mature in early fall.
Twig: Moderately stout, green to red-brown, somewhat ridged; buds are short and red-brown.
Bark: Smooth and pale gray.
Form: Generally a small pyramidal tree but can reach 60 feet tall.
 Looks like: myrtle

leaf
flower
twig
bark
form1
map

Additional Range Information: Laurus nobilis is planted in the USDA hardiness zones shown above and is not known to widely escape cultivaton. Download the full-size PDF map.
External Links: USDA Plants Database
All material © 2021 Virginia Tech Dept. of Forest Resources and Environmental Conservation; Photos and text by: John Seiler, Edward Jensen, Alex Niemiera, and John Peterson; Silvics reprinted from Ag Handbook 654; range map source information