I can’t even imagine my kitchen without bay leaves on the spice rack.
It’s like cooking with your hands tied behind your back. How could I survive without the minty, pine, and peppery flavors the leaves give off as they simmer in liquid.
I know some people don’t like this herb and say it doesn’t have much flavor, but that’s ridiculous to me. Just boil some broth with the leaves and some without and tell me you can’t tell the difference.
You know what I do when I run out of bay leaves? I turn to one of the many bay leaf alternatives.
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There are many varieties of plants that are commonly known as “bay leaf,” and some of them have a similar flavor to this popular herb.
Other varieties with the same name are inedible and it is important to know how to distinguish them.
In this guide, we’ll talk about nine plants that share similar names and look similar, and discuss whether or not they’re edible.
Here is the list:
Let’s start with the spice that most of us think of when we think of this popular spice.
1. Laurel
A noble laurel wreathCommonly known as sweet bay, true bay, bay laurel, and Greek bay, is the spice that most of us think of when we think of bay.
This evergreen tree belongs to the Lauraceae family and is native to the Mediterranean region.
The tree can grow up to 55 feet tall in Zones 7 to 10. The leaves are pointed, wavy-edged, and crisp. Their flavor comes from the essential oil 1,8-cineole, also known as eucalyptol.
L. noble The leaves contain 57 percent 1,8-cineole which becomes more concentrated when they are dried. Fresh leaves often have a milder flavor when they are dried.
Laurel
If you would like to add one of these plants to your herb garden, you can find the plants Available at Fast Growing Trees.
Learn more about growing bay trees in our guide.
2. Bay Room
Bay laurel, sweet, or West Indian laurel (Racemosa pepper) is native to India and the Caribbean and can grow to 40 feet or more, in Zone 10 and above.
It is related to the Jamaican pepper and has a strong, much stronger aroma than the L. noble.
The leaves have primary notes of cinnamon and cloves, with secondary notes of vanilla and cardamom. The leaves are even used to make a perfume, appropriately called bay rum.
The bright green lanceolate leaves darken as they age and can grow up to five inches long, with a more rounded tip. L. noble.
In addition to being used as a spice and fragrance, the leaves can also be used as an insect repellent and medicinal tea. The fruit and flowers of this plant are poisonous.
3. California
Oregon crape myrtle or California bayberry (California Apiary) has edible leaves and is often used as a substitute for L. noble in cooking
It contains only 20 percent 1,8-cineole, along with 37 percent umbellulone. This combination gives the leaves a scent and flavor similar to bay, but with more menthol.
Leaves are narrower and rounder, lighter in color L. nobleand can be up to five and a half inches long.
Native to California, this tree is also evergreen and can grow up to 100 feet tall in Zones 7 to 9.
4. Indian
Indian Bay or Bark (Cinnamomum tamala) is a plant in the Lauraceae family and its leaves are used as a popular spice in India, Nepal, and Bhutan. The tree grows up to 65 feet tall in Zones 9 to 10.
When compared to the laurel tree, there is no confusion between the two as they are completely different plants.
The five inch long leaves of C. tamala It is olive green, glossy, and has three veins instead of one.
As the first part of this nomenclature suggests, the leaf has a strong cinnamon aroma. It contains beta-caryophyllene, linalool and eugenol which contribute to this aroma and flavor.
The bark can be used as a substitute for cinnamon. But the edible leaves are not a good substitute for L. noble.
5. Indonesian
Gulf of Indonesia (Syzygium polyanthum) is more closely related to P. racemosa than L. noble.
It is a large tree that can grow up to 75 feet tall or more and its leaves are popular in Balinese, Javanese and Sumatran cuisine.
Leaves are wider than leaves of L. noble and can be eaten fresh or used as a spice when dried.
They have a similar flavor to bay leaves with eugenol and methyl chavicol, with a slightly bitter and astringent taste.
Both the leaves and the six-inch-long fruit are edible. In some parts of Asia, such as Indonesia, they are grown as a fruit tree in zones equivalent to Zones 10 to 11.
6. Loblolly tree
Loblolly Bay (Gordonia lasianthus) are not common in cultivation because they require very special soil to grow.
They are also extremely picky about their need for partial sun exposure and need moist but not wet conditions. These plants are native along the east coast of the United States from Virginia to Florida.
G. lasianthus is part of the tea family (Theaceae) and the cut stem has a delicious orange resinous smell, but no part of the plant is used for culinary purposes.
It is not poisonous, just not tasty. The leaves look very similar to L. noble and the 75-foot tall tree is adorned with white camellia-like flowers in the spring.
If you are lucky enough to have the right conditions to grow this plant, it is a favorite ornamental plant and thrives in Zones 7 to 9.
7. Magnolia
There are two Magnolia has the word “bay” in its common name: bull bay (Magnolia) and sweetbay (M. virginiana).
Both are so named because their leaves resemble red bay and bay laurel, and their wood has a spicy aroma similar to the leaves of these two species.
You can eat the leaves or use them to make tea, but they have no particular flavor and are certainly not a substitute for a proper spice because they taste nothing like bay leaves.
The foliage is much larger and slightly wider than L. nobleBut you can definitely see the resemblance.
Sweet Magnolia
Although it has no potential as a spice, this tree is truly stunning. If you live in Zones 5 to 10, you can bring a sweetbay magnolia home. from Nature Hills Nursery.
Learn more about growing sweetbay magnolia trees in our guide.
8. Mexican
Gulf of Mexico (by words), as its name suggests, is native to Mexico and Central America in temperate forests and stream banks, although the species is nearly extinct in its native environment.
It is a small shrub growing up to 16 feet tall with lanceolate leaves that are blue-green on the underside. The leaves are smooth and quite narrow.
L. glaucescens Edible and often used as a substitute for bay leaves, with 1,8-cineole, linalool and beta-pinene contributing to its characteristic aroma and flavor.
9. Red Bay
Part of the laurel family (Lauraceae), redbay, shorebay, or swampbay (Persea Bourbon) looks very similar L. noble and even has a similar pungent aroma when the leaves are crushed.
The leaves are also similar in shape and size, about five inches long. While it can be found growing in Zones 7 to 11, it is not very common.
You can find the redbay tree growing throughout the Southeastern United States, where it has been used by Native Americans as a spice for centuries. You can also enjoy the leaves as a L. noble alternative. However, do not eat these fruits as they are poisonous.
Sadly, wild trees up to 60 feet tall are being devastated by an invasion of the redbay ambrosia beetle (Xyleborus glabratus).
Spice of life
Whether you stick to your roots or venture into the unknown, the world has plenty of bays for you to enjoy.
Have you tried any of these? Or do any of them interest you? Let us know in the comments below.
And for More information about growing bay laurel in your garden, check out the following tips:
