The bay laurel wreath ( Laurus nobilis ) is among the most iconic tree in story . Native to the Mediterranean realm , it is a well - know symbol of strength and loftiness . While the leaf of the laurel is its most notable feature , alcove flowers are an added fillip to an already awful hedging plant life or purple tree .
Botany
Bay laurel wreath is an evergreen shrub or tree that once incubate much of the Mediterranean basin . It grows to a maximum height of 60 feet and is prise for its fragrant and flavorful leaves . Bay Arthur Stanley Jefferson Laurel is dioecian , meaning that there are male plants and female plant life .
Both male and female flowers are inconspicuous and only about one centimeter in diameter . They seem in pairs at the base of the leaves . distaff flower produce nectar made almost entirely of saccharose and manly flowers produce both ambrosia and pollen . The main pollinators of bay laurel are bees .
Cultivation
Bay laurel grows best in moist conditions , with full sun or partial tincture . It can withstand a slight drouth and is clean resistant to harsh wind except when disclose over recollective periods .
In balmy region around the Mediterranean , it is an evergreen plant and foliage are picked all year around . In colder climate , it will receive a dormant time of year . When inactive , laurel can withstand temperatures down to 23 ° F ( -5 ° C ) .
It is very hard to achieve successful sprouting with bay laurel seeds . They can take months to sprout and when they do you may not have a good germination percentage . Most garden laurels are propagated through hardwood or greenish cuttings and sell as nursery plants .
Symbolism
The ancient Greeks dedicated laurel wreath to Apollo and prized it as a symbolic representation of serenity and victory . Crowns of laurel embellish all Greek victors of the Pythian secret plan . Ovid writes that the Oracle at Delphi chewed laurel leaves to induce a trance from which she would make predictions .
Legend and superstitious has surround the plant for centuries . Roman citizens would engraft it near the home to guard off sickness and wear it in amulets to provide protection . This ancient plant gave upgrade to the terms ‘ baccalaureate , ’ ‘ poet laureate ’ and the phrasal idiom ‘ rest on one ’s laurel wreath . ’
Uses
Some of bay laurels uses include :
While bay laurels culinary attribute are plebeian cognition , its medicative and other qualities are often overlooked . The crucial crude is used locally to relieve arthritis and rheumatism and it even has anti - skin cancer properties .
A poultice made from the fresh folio was traditionally put on poison ivy , poison oak , bite nettle , and other plant cause pelt reactions . As an cosmetic plant life it can easily be trimmed as a topiary into exotic conformation and figures .
