|
Properties:
Soothing, antibacterial, circulatory, relaxing and
anti-inflammatory. It can also be used for any cockroach
infestation, as the chemical cineole in bay repels them.
The leaves should be crushed and placed in kitchen
cupboards and under the sink. Leaves are also used in
packing dried figs and licorice to deter weevils. They
also repel fleas, lice, moths and the tiny bugs found in
flour and cereals. If your pets roam outside use a few
leaves in their basket or bedding to repel unwanted
guests.
Turkish bay leaves are thought to be the best in the
world. It grows wild on the hilly mountains of western
Turkey in the area around Izmir (Smyrna). The wind there
is perfect; most of the year it comes from the west
across the Mediterranean and Aegean seas, picking up
moisture and dropping it on the trees. At the end of the
summer it changes direction and comes from the south;
hot and dry, ready for harvest. Not as harshly flavoured
as the California variety (Lauraceae Umbellularia
californica), it has more of a natural deep flavour.
Characteristics:
The reported life zone of bay laurel is 8 to 25 degrees
Centigrade with an annual precipitation of 0.3 to 2.2
meters and a soil pH of 4.5 to 8.3. Best development
occurs in full sun and deep soils. So use as deep a pot
as possible, and give the plant full sun.
After manual plucking and sorting, leaves are quickly
dried without exposure to sunlight. High-quality bay
leaves are easily recognized not only by their strong
aroma, but also by their bright green colour. A rule of
thumb holds: The greener the colour, the better the
quality. Bay leaves cannot, however, be stored as long
as their tough texture might suggest, do not keep more
than a year after picking. Old leaves lose their
fragrance, become brown and bitter.
History:
According to Classical legend, the bay tree was sacred
to Apollo. It seems he was infatuated with a pretty
nymph, Daphne, but she did not return his affection. She
begged the gods to help her escape. They changed her
into a bay tree, which were plentiful on the Greek
Islands, and so she remained forever hidden.
Heartbroken, Apollo took the tree as his emblem, hence
the custom of bestowing bay wreaths on heroes, artists
and emperors. Because bay was sacred to Apollo, the sun
god, it was perceived as a strong defence against evil
and powers of darkness. Apollo dedicated this wonderful
herb to his son Aesculapius, the Greek god of medicine,
and its medicinal properties were important for many
centuries.
At Delphi (southern Greece), the Oracle and the lesser
priestesses are said to have held bay leaves between
their teeth or chewed on them, while prophesying. Since
they are mildly narcotic, this might have helped induce
their trance-like states. The roof of the temple was
thatched with boughs of these leaves. This not only
served as a sunscreen it was believed to protect against
lightening, disease and evil spirits. As further
protection, designs based on bay leaf garlands became
common in architectural mouldings.
The Olympic games, started in 776, in honour of Zeus,
the champions were originally decorated with a wreath of
olive twigs. The use of laurel wreaths began when the
Pythian Games, which were conducted in honour of Apollo
started in Delphi.
Description:
Two species: Laurus nobilis (Eastern
Mediterranean region) and L. azorica (Canary and
Azores Islands). Though bay is indigenous to Asia, it is
frequently thought of as native to the Mediterranean, as
it has adapted wonderfully to the climate and played a
major role in its culture.
Laurus nobilis' blossoms are cream coloured and
waxy with large stamens, which appear in spring;
followed by dark purple-blue berries. In its home
country it will grow from 10-50 feet spreading out to 30
feet.
Two important cultivars are : Laurus nobilis
'Aurea' (golden bay) and Laurus nobilis
'Angustifolia' (willow-leaf bay).
Laurus azorica grows to 50 feet high in the wild.
Leaves are alternate, and ovate (like the L. nobilis),
2 to 6 inches long, pointed, dark green above, paler and
hairy beneath. Flowers are greenish-yellow in axillary
umbels. Fruit are ovate, 12 mm in diameter and black
when ripe.
Laurus azorica, is common in Tenerife's laurel
forests, commonly found in rocky precipices and by
streams. Due to the forest's position, on the north side
of the island, they are enveloped in cloud for most of
the year. Constant dampness could adversely affect many
trees by clogging the leaves' stomata (the openings
responsible for the exchange of gases with the
atmosphere). To compensate, these leaves have developed
a waxy cuticle, and a drip-point at the tip. They have
evolved to ensure that any condensed water droplets run
off the leaves as quickly as possible. A parasitic
fungus Laurobasidium lauri, which grows on the
stems of Laurus azorica, is used in Spain as an
anti-rheumatic, haemostatic, emmenagogue and
insecticide.
The fruits of the California variety resemble miniature
avocados. The light-coloured wood from large trees in
Oregon (known as Oregon myrtle) has a beautiful grain
and is made into furniture and bowls.
Cultivation:
Laurus nobilis thrives when given partial shade
to full sun; rich well drained soil and is protected
from drafts. It's hardy only to about 15 degrees
Celsius, though I have read it can withstand a degree or
so of frost when planted in open ground. Considered an
ornamental in Canada it is not too difficult to grow in
a pot and clip into formal shapes. Use a spacious
container to prevent it from being blown over and ensure
perfect drainage so the roots do not rot. When you bring
the plant indoors, flush the soil in the pot with water
to eliminate any build up of salts from fertilizers.
Then let it drain thoroughly.
Both species are grown as ornamentals, but the Laurus
nobilis is most popular for it's culinary usage and
is an essential ingredient in "bouquet garni". Bay is
different from most herbs - usually herbs are from
leaves from annual or perennial plants, rather than from
a tree. The dried leaves have an astringent, spicy
flavour similar to freshly ground pepper, but without
the heat. Leaves are harvested by cutting the branches
and drying them in the shade. They are very light (8
ounces by weight equals one gallon by volume). Fresh
leaves can be used in cooking too, but they are less
popular. Good quality leaves should be large, whole,
unblemished and a healthy green.
Indoors: Let stand in a bright, airy and cool place. If
you want to fertilize, use at half strength, once or
twice a month. Let the soil dry out to an inch below the
surface before watering. Maintain good air circulation
and mist the leaves regularly. The plant should not be
more than three times higher than the diameter of the
pot and do not use soil from the garden. This is a rule
of thumb, for most indoor plants. Take outside again
when the danger of frost has passed. Clusters of creamy
yellow flowers will appear in spring. They are
dioecious; meaning you will need a male as well as
female plant before you will get the black berries later
in summer. Potted bay is not that likely to flower.
Pest Problems found on Bay:
Scale: Scale manifests itself as hard brown ovals, which
appear on the undersides of leaves or on woody stems. If
the plant is not too big, remove scale by brushing with
an old toothbrush dipped in a mixture of half water and
half rubbing alcohol. Spray mature trees with
horticultural oil, then repeat in ten days.
Mildew: Mildew is a fungal disease that manifests itself
as a grayish, downy deposit on the leaves. Plants that
do not have adequate sunshine or air circulation are
most often affected. Spray affected foliage with sulfur
early in the morning while foliage is still moist with
dew. Badly infected foliage should be cut out and
destroyed.
Commercial production centres include areas of Turkey,
Algeria, Belgium, France, Greece, Mexico, Morocco,
Portugal, Spain, the Canary Islands, Central America and
the southern United States.
Propagation:
Quite difficult to propagate, the suggested method is to
use semi-ripe cuttings or remove suckers in summer, or
layer in autumn. Trim to shape in summer, removing
suckers from standards and topiaries as they appear.
Laurus nobilis is easy to clip into shape and is
found on patios of stylish restaurants or flanking
doorways. Bay is prone to the scale insect, remove this
from the underneath of leaves with cotton wool and soapy
water, to which garlic could be added.
Medicinal Use:
In Dr. Andrew Borde's first book on hygiene in 1542,
citizens were advised to burn woody stems of bay during
the plague. At Mark Twain's death in 1910, at the
request of his family, a bay wreath was the only
adornment for his coffin, on the hill behind his home in
Connecticut. Due to the location, it was unlikely bay
laurel, but, the symbolism remains the same.
Bay leaves, berries, and bark have all been credited
with medicinal qualities. The pungent smell was thought
to repel infection, so physicians would rub their hands
with the oil after ministering to a sick patient. During
outbreaks of plague, residents of ancient Rome were
advised to burn bay oil in public places. The aromatic
oil has long been used as a soothing rub for arthritis
and rheumatism. An aromatherapist may prescribe it to
relieve earache or to lower blood pressure. Historically
the leaves were used in infusions to aid in digestive
disorders, and were applied to injured areas to ease
sprains. In Chinese medicine bayberry roots are thought
of as a tonic and are used to regulate the energy in the
body, arrest bleeding, dissolve blood coagulations and
other ailments.
The essential oil (e.o.) of L. nobilis, which is
medicinal and camphor-like, is distilled from the cells
of the leaves, though the berries are used too. Laurel
e.o. that is prepared from the fruit is less known, and
often used as a spice. L. nobilis e.o. has a
stimulating and somewhat masculine aroma; used for
treating sinus headache, travel fatigue, restoring the
adrenal glands and the immune system.
Bay e.o. has a high phenol content making it a strong
antiseptic, antiviral and antifungal, which works very
well, but it can burn the skin. It is recommended not to
use more than a 3% solution on your body. Get the
correct information before using and also do a patch
test on your skin. The e.o. is used by the cosmetic
industry in creams, perfumes, toothpaste, soaps and to
flavour pickles. There are several other plants referred
to as bay, and the oils from these are known as oil of
bay.
Cherry laurel and mountain laurel are decorative but
carry the poison andromedotoxin in them. It slows the
pulse, lowers blood pressure, cause' convulsions and
death. It is potent enough to poison honey made by bees
that alight on them. Crinkle the leaves to savour the
pungent, fragrance that is the bay's signature, if it
doesn't have the smell, then do not use it. Eugenol is
the principal volatile oil that gives us this true bay
aroma and flavour.
Magical Use:
From very early times, bay was considered a potent
magical herb. It was believed that if you burned a white
candle and sprinkled bayberry bark on it, this would
bring good fortune and money. Bayberry bark can be
substituted with the e.o. Used in incense, dream/sleep
pillows, charms, amulets, candle anointing, Laurus
nobilis' uses are many and an important ingredient
in most magickal workings.
Medieval wise women made talismans from bay to avert the
evil eye and in 1652, herbalist Nicolas Culpeper said
that: "... neither witch nor devil, thunder nor
lightning will hurt a man where a bay tree is".
Culinary Use:
A classic herb combination: Bouquet Garni, is bay leaf
along with parsley and thyme. Traditionally, these fresh
herbs are tied together, added to a dish, allowed to
simmer, and then lifted out at the end of cooking. Dried
herbs can be substituted and tied in a bit of
cheesecloth. Add other herbs as the nature of the dish
and your whims dictate. Try adding lemon, sage and
tarragon with chicken; rosemary and mint with lamb;
green peppercorns, orange and savory herb to beef.
Bringing together other flavours, giving them depth and
richness is what bay leaves do best. Rarely will you
find them as the main flavour in a dish.
In England, a bay leaf is traditionally added to a baked
sweet rice pudding at the beginning of cooking where it
leaves a peppery flavour.
Suggestions by author, Leslie Bremness, is to throw
'bay' twigs on the barbecue for a smoky, aromatic tang.
Old leaves can be crumbled into potpourri and
'masculine' sweet bags.
|
