Stats

Lifespan: Up to 100 yrs
Size: Large
Diet: Photosynthetic
Biome: Mediterranean woodland
Range: Mediterranean
Movement: Sessile
Breeding: Seeds
Defense: Toxins
Status: Uncommon

About

Bay laurel is the aromatic Mediterranean tree whose dried leaves have seasoned food for over 3,000 years — the same laurels woven into victory wreaths in ancient Greece and Rome. A slow-growing evergreen, it can live for centuries and reach 18 metres in the wild.

Life cycle

1.
seed
A dormant seed waits for water and warmth before germinating.
2.
sprout
A first shoot emerges with cotyledon leaves and a tap root reaching down.
3.
sapling
A young plant grows true leaves and a stem or trunk, putting on height each season.
4.
mature
Fully grown, flowering or fruiting at adult size.

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Taxonomy

Kingdom: Plantae
Phylum: Tracheophyta
Class: Magnoliopsida
Order: Laurales
Family: Lauraceae
Genus: Laurus
Species: Laurus nobilis