Umbellularia californica
California bay laurel · also California laurel, Oregon myrtle, Pepperwood
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Umbellularia californica, also known as California Bay Laurel, is a large evergreen hardwood tree native to coastal forests and Sierra foothills of California and Oregon. It features pungently scented leaves, yellowish-green flowers in late winter to early spring, and olive-sized purple fruits. This species is found in various forest types and is a host for the sudden oak death pathogen.
Where it grows
Trees in each city's inventory, with the share of that city's named trees this species accounts for.
- 260.01%35 yr7.5 in
- 230.02%—9.0 in
- 50.00%—11 in
- 20.01%—14 in
- 10.00%—5.0 in
- 10.00%—2.5 in
- 10.00%—24 in
Traits
- Foliage
- Evergreen
- Mature height
- 30–50 ft
- Canopy spread
- 60–75 ft
- Sun
- Part shade
- Water needs
- High
- Tolerates
- coastal
- Blooms
- Mar, Apr
Trunk diameters across every city: median 7.5 in, mean 9.8 in, 90th percentile 18 in. Measured at breast height, as published by each inventory.
Native range
Terrestrial ecoregions where this species is native. Trees in the dataset mostly stand well outside it.
Temperate Conifer Forests
- Central Pacific Northwest coastal forests
- Northern California coastal forests
- Sierra Nevada forests
Mediterranean Forests, Woodlands & Scrub
- California coastal sage and chaparral
- California interior chaparral and woodlands
- California montane chaparral and woodlands