Augaherb Bay Leaf Botanical Extract

The Sweet Bay is a small tree, growing in Britain to a height of about 8 metres, but in warmer climates reaching as much as 20 metres. The smooth bark may be olive-green or of a reddish hue. The luxurious, evergreen leaves are alternate, with short stalks, lanceolate, 75 to 100 mm long, the margin smooth and wavy. They are thick, smooth, and of a shining, dark green colour. The flowers are small, yellow and unisexual, and grow in small clusters. The shrub has been cultivated in Britain since the sixteenth century. It is the source of the ancients’ crowns and wreaths for heroes and poets, and the modern term of ‘bachelor,’ given for degrees, is probably derived from bacca-laureus, or laurel-berry, through the French bachelier.
The Delphic priestesses are said to have made use of the leaves. It grows well under the shade of other trees and is useful in evergreen plantations.