California bay laurel

Umbellularia californica

Stronger than Mediterranean bay; use half a leaf. The roasted nuts taste of chocolate and coffee.

Type: canopy tree · native and wild plants
Hardiness: zones 7 to 10
Light: part shade to full sun
Size: about 60 ft tall, 40 ft wide
Harvest: October to November
From: California and Oregon
Drought-hardy once established
Here: Hardy in the Lake Erie shore climate (zone 6b to 7a), so it can live outdoors in the ground.

Good for: food, wildlife.

Native to: California, Pacific Northwest. Hardy in zones 7 to 10.

The story

California bay was the pepperwood of the Ohlone, Pomo and Yurok, who roasted the nuts to eat and used the strong leaves for flavour, headaches and to drive off fleas; the nut tastes of chocolate and coffee. The leaves are far stronger than Mediterranean bay.

Planting

Full sun or shade, moist drained soil, and a mild climate; a 60-foot tree in the wild, clippable in a yard. Plant a seedling.

Growing

Water through dry summers while young, then little. Clip to keep it small; it takes it.

Harvest and use

Pick leaves any time; use half a leaf where you would use a whole bay leaf. Nuts drop in autumn; roast until dark and eat a few at a time.

What to watch for

Sudden oak death carrier; the strong oil irritates some people.

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General guidance, not professional advice. Conditions vary by yard and year; for local specifics ask your county extension office. Never eat a wild plant you cannot identify with certainty. Traditional uses are shared as history, not medical advice. © 2026 Sean Priest · Irie Orchard. Terms & credits · Privacy · Home