what tree gives us bay leaf?

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scordra Coos Bay, OR(Zone 7b) Jun 29, 2007

I've searched under bay tree, bay leaf tree, bay laurel tree,etc.--NOTHING comes up! What tree gives us the culinary herb, 'bay leaf' ???

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ecrane3 Dublin, CA(Zone 9a) Jun 29, 2007

Pretty sure it's Laurus nobilis
http://davesgarden.com/pf/go/814/

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kyjoy Frankfort, KY Jun 29, 2007

The bay leaf is part of the Laurel family (Lauraceae).

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scordra Coos Bay, OR(Zone 7b) Jun 29, 2007

thank you --I found the Laurus Nobilis -- thank you!! Has anyone heard of these leaves being used to repel bugs in your home?--my friend has been invaded with waterbugs and she's allergic to even 'organic' pesticides,so I'm checking on an old remedy I heard of years ago.( Also, she's in La$ Vega$, Nevada.)thanks,scordra.

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bettydee La Grange, TX(Zone 8b) Jun 29, 2007

ecrane3 is correct, Lauris nobilis, also known as the Turkish Bay provides the culinary herb. California Bay, Umbellaria californica, leaves can be used also althought the flavor is more pungent. I believe the leaves are sold under the name Bay leaves and are slightly cheaper.

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bettydee La Grange, TX(Zone 8b) Jun 29, 2007

Scordra, the leaves would have to be steeped in water to extract the chemical that kills insects and use the solution. I don't think the leaves themselves would work, but it doesn't hur to try. I do know that the solution works. While on a field trip in college, our professor's wife kindly made some spaghetti sauce for our group, but she didn't have any bay leaves. We were to add some when we reheated the sauce. California Bay is an understory tree in the forest we were headed to. Not being a cook, our professor grabbed a BIG hand full of leaves and dumped the whole lot into the heating pot of sauce. The sauce was almost inedible, but we hadn't taken anything else for dinner so we ate it. Our meal attracted a number of yellow jackets who landed on the cooing sauce to extract the little chunks of ground beef. They never made it out of the pot. They died not too long after landing on the sauce. It wasn't the heat that killed them. By the time they found the sauce it was at body temperature.

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Resin Northumberland, United Kingdom(Zone 9a) Jun 29, 2007

Laurus nobilis:

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scordra Coos Bay, OR(Zone 7b) Jul 02, 2007

A friend and I are currently experimenting with 'bay' leaves as a repellent for homes-- we have sprinkled the perimeter of her home to repel those little water bugs that kept coming in-- so far so good--I'll keep you all posted on the results if anyone is interested.(I'd much rather repel bugs than kill them)

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