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Search for native plants by scientific name, common name or family. If you are not sure what you are looking for, try the Combination Search or our Recommended Species lists.

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Umbellularia californica (California laurel)
Wasowski, Sally and Andy

Umbellularia californica

Umbellularia californica (Hook. & Arn.) Nutt.

California Laurel, California Bay, Oregon Myrtle, Pepperwood

Lauraceae (Laurel Family)

Synonym(s):

USDA Symbol: UMCA

USDA Native Status: L48 (N)

This is a pungently aromatic, evergreen tree; its variable form dependent on habitat. Broad-crowned if open grown or narrow in shade, it is a slow grower to 40, or many more, ft. and sometimes remains an erect shrub in dry sites. The narrow, lance-shaped leaves are dark green and leathery. The bark is greenish to reddish-brown. Yellow-green flowers, 6-10 per flowering stem, are followed by greenish, avocado-like fruits which become dark purple when ripe. Evergreen tree with short trunk, usually forked into several large, spreading branches, forming a broad, rounded, dense crown of aromatic, peppery foliage; in exposed situations a low, thicket-forming shrub.

A handsome ornamental and street tree on the West Coast, it is also known as "California-bay." When crushed, the foliage, twigs, and other parts are pungently aromatic. The attractive light brown wood with darker stalkless takes a beautiful finish and is used for veneer in furniture and paneling, cabinetwork, and interior trim. Prized for novelties and woodenware, it is often marketed as "Oregon-myrtle," though a member of the Laurel Family. California Laurel and Sassafras (Sassafras albidum) are the northernmost New World representatives of this tropical family.

 

From the Image Gallery

2 photo(s) available in the Image Gallery

Plant Characteristics

Duration: Perennial
Habit: Tree
Leaf Retention: Evergreen
Leaf Complexity: Simple
Fruit Type: Drupe
Size Notes: Most often 20-45 feet tall. May be up to about 150 feet tall.
Leaf: Green

Bloom Information

Bloom Color: Yellow , Green
Bloom Time: Jan , Feb , Mar , Apr , May , Nov , Dec

Distribution

USA: CA , OR
Native Distribution: Coast Ranges & Sierra Nevadas from CA to s.w. OR
Native Habitat: Moist canyons, streams & pond edges

Growing Conditions

Water Use: High
Light Requirement: Part Shade
Soil Moisture: Moist
CaCO3 Tolerance: None
Soil Description: Moist soils.
Conditions Comments: California bay laurel tolerates serpentine (high magnesium) soils. It is a very refined plant.

Benefit

Conspicuous Flowers: yes

Propagation

Description: Bay laurel is easily started from seed sown on light-textured beds soon after harvest. It can also be propagated from cuttings.
Seed Treatment: Removal of the leathery fruit coat will shorten germination to about two months. A 3-4 month stratification has been suggested.
Commercially Avail: yes

Find Seed or Plants

Find seed sources for this species at the Native Seed Network.

View propagation protocol from Native Plants Network.

National Wetland Indicator Status

Region:AGCPAKAWCBEMPGPHIMWNCNEWMVE
Status: FAC FAC
This information is derived from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers National Wetland Plant List, Version 3.1 (Lichvar, R.W. 2013. The National Wetland Plant List: 2013 wetland ratings. Phytoneuron 2013-49: 1-241). Click here for map of regions.

From the National Organizations Directory

According to the species list provided by Affiliate Organizations, this plant is on display at the following locations:

Santa Barbara Botanic Garden - Santa Barbara, CA
Native Seed Network - Corvallis, OR

Bibliography

Bibref 841 - Native Alternatives to Invasive Plants (2006) Burrell, C. C.
Bibref 995 - Native Landscaping from El Paso to L.A. (2000) Wasowski, S. and A. Wasowski

Search More Titles in Bibliography

Web Reference

Webref 37 - Calscape (2019) California Native Plant Society
Webref 38 - Flora of North America (2019) Missouri Botanical Garden, St. Louis, MO & Harvard University Herbaria, Cambridge, MA.
Webref 36 - Jepson eFlora (2019) The Jepson Herbarium, University of California, Berkeley

Additional resources

USDA: Find Umbellularia californica in USDA Plants
FNA: Find Umbellularia californica in the Flora of North America (if available)
Google: Search Google for Umbellularia californica

Metadata

Record Modified: 2023-04-10
Research By: TWC Staff

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