Umbellularia californica

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Umbellularia californica
Light:Full Sun
Moisture:Mesic
Hardiness:7
Soil pH:5.6-7.3
Evergreen
Height:82'
Width:33'
Speed:Moderate
Blooms:Mid Spring
Open Woods Forest
Native to:
Edible Rating:PFAF Edibility RatingPFAF Edibility RatingPFAF Edibility RatingPFAF Edibility Rating
Medicinal Rating:PFAF Medicinal RatingPFAF Medicinal RatingPFAF Medicinal RatingPFAF Medicinal Rating
Tea:Yes
Poisonous

Umbellularia californica (common name: california laurel)

Propagation: Seed - it has a limited viability and is best sown as soon as it is ripe in the autumn in a greenhouse[1]. Stored seed should be sown as early in the year as possible in the greenhouse. In the wild the seed germinates as soon as it falls to the ground in the autumn[2]. When they are large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and grow them on in the greenhouse for at least their first winter. Plant them out into their permanent positions in late spring or early summer, after the last expected frosts.

Cuttings of half-ripe wood, 7 - 10cm with a heel, July/August in a shaded frame. Pot up in spring. Good percentage[3][1].

Layering.

Cultivation: Requires a well-drained moisture retentive lime-free soil in a sunny position[1]. Prefers an abundant supply of moisture in the growing season[2].

Older plants are hardy to about -15°c when growing in a position that is sheltered from cold drying winds, but young plants require some frost protection[1]. Even mature plants can be damaged in severe winters[4].

The leaves are harvested commercially in California and sold as a bay-leaf substitute[5].

The leaves emit a powerful camphor-like scent when bruised[6]. So strong is the aroma that it can cause headaches and dizziness[6].

A very large and beautiful tree fruited regularly at Kew, producing viable seed, until it was blown down in the severe storms of October 1987[K].

Range: South-western N. America - California to Oregon.

Habitat: Lower mountain slopes, flatlands, hillsides etc, on various soils and often in shade[7][8]. The best specimens are found in deep rich soils of valley bottoms[9].

Edibility: Seed - cooked[10]. It can be roasted and eaten or can be ground into a powder that is used with cereal flours in making bread[7][11][12][5]. A bitter quality in the seed is dispensed by roasting or parching the seed[13][14].

Fruit - raw or cooked[10].

The leaves are used as a condiment in cooked foods. They are a bayleaf substitute but with a much stronger flavour[15][8][16]. Used for flavouring soups, stews etc[5].

A tea is obtained from the leaves[15].

A coffee substitute is obtained from the root bark[14][5].

Medicinal: California laurel was employed medicinally by some native North American Indian tribes who used it particularly as an analgesic to treat a variety of complaints[10]. It is still occasionally used in modern herbalism, being valued for its beneficial effect upon the digestive system.

The leaves are analgesic, antirheumatic, nervine and stomachic[13][8][17][16][10]. Although the aroma of the leaves is known to cause headaches, they have also been used as an infusion and a poultice to treat this affliction[13][8][17][16][10]. The leaves are also used internally to treat neuralgia, intestinal cramps and gastro-enteritis[16]. An infusion has been used by women to ease the pains of afterbirth[10]. Externally, an infusion has been used as a bath in the treatment of rheumatism[10]. A decoction of the leaves has been used as a wash on sores and to remove vermin from the head[10]. They are harvested as required and can be used fresh or dried[16].

A poultice of the ground seeds has been used to treat sores[10].

The seeds have been eaten as a stimulant[10].

Usage: The leaves are used as an insect repellent, they are especially effective against fleas[7][13][8][17][18]. They have disinfectant properties and contain small quantities of camphor[17][18]. The leaves are burnt as a fumigant to get rid of fleas[10].

The leaves have been hung in bunches to freshen the air[10]. The aroma of the leaves gives some people headaches[K].

An essential oil is obtained from the leaves by steam distillation[19][20][21][2].

Beige and green dyes are obtained from the fruits (used without the seeds). Very aromatic, the dye retains its fragrance for many years[22].

Wood - hard, close grained, heavy, strong, takes a high polish. A beautifully textured wood, it is used for high quality cabinet making, panelling etc[21][2][8][9].

Notes: If we bought in seed we could supply this in the year it germinated.

Soil: Can grow in light, medium, and heavy soils.

Drainage: Prefers well drained soil.

In Leaf: Evergreen

Seed Ripens: Mid Fall-Late Fall

Flower Type: Hermaphrodite

Known Hazards: The foliage can cause skin irritations[4][19]. A volatile oil in the leaves can cause sneezing and headaches if inhaled[19].

Also Known As: Laurus regalis. L. regia. Oreodaphne californica. Tetranthera californica.

Links

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 Huxley, Anthony. The New Royal Horticultural Society Dictionary of Gardening. MacMillan Press, 1992.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 Sargent, Charles. Manual of the Trees of North America. Dover, 1965.
  3. ↑ Sheat, Wilfrid. Propagation of Trees, Shrubs and Conifers. St Martin, 1948.
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 Chittendon, Fred. RHS Dictionary of Plants. Oxford University Press, 1951.
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 Facciola, Stephen. Cornucopia - A Source Book of Edible Plants. Kampong Publications, 1990.
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 Genders, Roy. Scented Flora of the World. Robert Hale, 1994.
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 Elias, Thomas. A Field Guide to North American Edible Wild Plants. Van Nostrand Reinhold, 1982.
  8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 8.3 8.4 8.5 Sweet, Muriel. Common Edible and Useful Plants of the West. Naturegraph Co, 1962.
  9. ↑ 9.0 9.1 Elias, Thomas. The Complete Trees of North America. Van Nostrand Reinhold, 1980.
  10. ↑ 10.00 10.01 10.02 10.03 10.04 10.05 10.06 10.07 10.08 10.09 10.10 10.11 Moerman, Daniel. Native American Ethnobotany. Timber Press, 1998.
  11. ↑ Tanaka, Tyōzaburō. Tanaka's Cyclopaedia of Edible Plants of the World. Keigaku Publishing, 1976.
  12. ↑ Kunkel, Günther. Plants for Human Consumption. Koeltz Scientific Books, 1984.
  13. ↑ 13.0 13.1 13.2 13.3 Balls, Edward. Early Uses of Californian Plants. University of California Press, 1975.
  14. ↑ 14.0 14.1 Yanovsky, Elias. Food Plants of the North American Indians Publication 237. US Department of Agriculture.
  15. ↑ 15.0 15.1 Hedrick, Ulysses. Sturtevant's Edible Plants of the World. Dover Publications, 1972.
  16. ↑ 16.0 16.1 16.2 16.3 16.4 Bown, Deni. Royal Horticultural Society Encyclopaedia of Herbs and Their Uses. Dorling Kindersley, 1995.
  17. ↑ 17.0 17.1 17.2 17.3 Saunders, Charles. Edible and Useful Wild Plants of the United States and Canada. Dover Publications, 1976.
  18. ↑ 18.0 18.1 Buchanan, Rita. A Weavers Garden.
  19. ↑ 19.0 19.1 19.2 Bean, William. Trees and Shrubs Hardy in Great Britain. Murray, 1981.
  20. ↑ Uphof, Johannes. Dictionary of Economic Plants. Weinheim, 1959.
  21. ↑ 21.0 21.1 Usher, George. A Dictionary of Plants Used by Man. Constable, 1974.
  22. ↑ Grae, Ida. Nature's Colors. MacMillan Publishing, 1974.


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