Learn About 9 Types of Bay Trees | Gardener’s Path

I can’t even imagine my kitchen without bay leaves in the spice rack.

It would be like cooking with both hands tied behind my back. How could I even survive without the menthol, pine, and peppery flavor that the leaves release when slowly simmered in liquid.

I know some people dislike this herb, and say that it doesn’t really have much flavor, but that’s nonsense in my opinion. Just boil some broth with the leaves and some without and tell me you can’t tell the difference.

Do you know what I do when I run out of the leaves? I turn to one of the many bay leaf alternatives.

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There are many plants that are referred to by the common name “bay,” and some of them have a similar flavor to the popular herb.

Others that go by the same name aren’t edible, and it’s important to know the difference.

In this guide, we’ll talk about nine plants that have the same common moniker and may look similar, and discuss whether or not they are edible.

Here’s the list:

Let’s start with the one most of us think of when we imagine the common spice.

1. Bay Laurel

Laurus nobilis, commonly called sweet bay, true laurel, bay laurel, and Grecian laurel, is the one that most of us think of when we imagine the spice.

The evergreen trees are part of the Lauraceae family and hail from the Mediterranean region.

The trees can grow up to 55 feet tall in Zones 7 to 10. The leaves are pointy, with a wavy margin and are brittle. Their flavor comes from the essential oil 1,8-cineole, also known as eucalyptol.

L. nobilis foliage contains 57 percent 1,8-cineole which becomes more concentrated when they are dried. The fresh leaves are generally milder in flavor than when they are dried.

Bay Laurel

If you want to add one of these plants to your herb garden, you can find plants available at Fast Growing Trees.

Learn more about how to grow bay laurel in our guide.

2. Bay Rum

Bay rum, sweet, or West Indian bay tree (Pimenta racemosa) is native to India and the Caribbean region and can reach heights of 40 feet and more, in Zone 10 and above.

It’s related to allspice and is highly fragrant, much more so than L. nobilis.

The leaves have main notes of cinnamon and cloves, with under notes of vanilla and cardamom. The foliage is even used to make cologne called, fittingly, bay rum.

The bright green lanceolate leaves darken as they age and can be up to five inches long, with a more rounded tip than L. nobilis.

In addition to being used as a spice and fragrance, the foliage can also be used as an insect repellent and medicinal tea. The berries and flowers of this tree are toxic.

3. California

Oregon myrtle or California bay (Umbellularia californica) has edible foliage and is often used as a substitute for L. nobilis in cooking.

It contains just 20 percent 1,8-cineole, along with 37 percent umbellulone. This combines to give the foliage a similar scent and flavor to bay laurel, but with much more menthol.

The leaves are more narrow and rounded, with a lighter hue than L. nobilis, and grow up to five and a half inches long.

Native to California, it’s also evergreen and can grow up to 100 feet tall in Zones 7 to 9.

4. Indian

Indian bay or bark (Cinnamomum tamala) is a tree in the Lauraceae family and the leaves are used as a popular spice in India, Nepal, and Bhutan. The tree grows up to 65 feet tall in Zones 9 to 10.

When compared to bay laurel, there’s no confusing the two plants as they are completely different.

The five-inch leaves of C. tamala are glossy, olive green, and have three veins rather than one.

As the first part of the binomial suggests, the flavor of the foliage has strong notes of cinnamon. It contains beta-caryophyllene, linalool, and eugenol which impart this fragrance and flavor.

The bark can be used as a substitute for cinnamon. But the edible leaves aren’t a good substitute for L. nobilis.

5. Indonesian

Indonesian bay (Syzygium polyanthum) is more closely related to P. racemosa than L. nobilis.

It’s a massive tree growing up to 75 feet or more, and the leaves are popular in Balinese, Javan, and Sumatran cuisine.

The leaves are wider than those of L. nobilis and can be eaten fresh or used as a spice when dry.

They have a similar flavor to bay laurel with eugenol and methyl chavicol, with a slightly bitter and astringent flavor.

Both the six-inch leaves and fruit are edible. In some regions of Asia, like Indonesia, they’re grown as fruit trees in the equivalent of Zones 10 to 11.

6. Loblolly

Loblolly bays (Gordonia lasianthus) aren’t common in cultivation because they require very specific soil to thrive.

They’re also extremely fussy about their required partial sun exposure and need moist but not wet conditions. These trees grow indigenously along the eastern seaboard of the US from Virginia to Florida.

G.lasianthus is part of the tea family (Theaceae) and the cut stems have a heavenly resinous-orange smell, but no part of the plant is used for culinary purposes.

It’s not toxic, just unpalatable. The leaves bear a striking resemblance to L. nobilis and the 75-foot tree is decorated in camellia-like white flowers in the spring.

If you’re lucky enough to have the right conditions to cultivate this plant, it’s a beloved ornamental and thrives in Zones 7 to 9.

7. Magnolia

There are two magnolia trees that have “bay” in the common name: bull bay (Magnolia grandiflora) and sweetbay (M. virginiana).

Both earned that name because their leaves resemble redbay and bay laurel, and the wood contains a similar spicy fragrance to the leaves of those two species.

You can eat the leaves or use them in tea, but they aren’t especially flavorful and are certainly no substitute for the proper spice as they taste nothing like bay.

The foliage is much larger and a bit wider than that of L. nobilis, but you can definitely see the resemblance.

Sweetbay Magnolia

Despite its lack of potential as a spice, the trees are absolutely gorgeous. If you live in Zones 5 to 10, you can bring a sweetbay magnolia home from Nature Hills Nursery.

Learn more about how to grow sweetbay magnolia in our guide.

8. Mexican

Mexican bay (Litsea glaucescens), as the name suggests, hails from Mexico and Central America in temperate forests and stream banks, though this species is nearly extinct in its native range.

It’s a small shrub that grows up to 16 feet tall with lanceolate leaves that have a blue-green hue on the undersides. The leaves are smooth and quite narrow.

L. glaucescens is edible and is often used as a substitute for bay laurel, with 1,8-cineole, linalool, and beta-pinene providing the distinctive scent and flavor.

9. Redbay

Part of the laurel family (Lauraceae), redbay, shorebay, or swampbay (Persea borbonia) looks a lot like L. nobilis and even has a similar spicy fragrance when the leaves are crushed.

The leaves are also similar in shape and size, reaching about five inches long. While it can be found in cultivation in Zones 7 to 11, it isn’t extremely common.

You can find redbay growing throughout the southeastern United States where it has been used as a seasoning by native people for centuries. You, too, can enjoy the leaves as a L. nobilis substitute. Don’t eat the fruits, though, as these are toxic.

Sadly, wild plants, which grow up to 60 feet tall, are being decimated by an invasion of the redbay ambrosia beetle (Xyleborus glabratus).

The Spice of Life

Whether you stick to the original or you venture out into the unknown, the world is full of bays for you to enjoy.

Have you tried any of these? Or have any of them piqued your interest? Let us know in the comments section below.

And for more information about growing bay laurel in your garden, check out these guides next: