Bay laurel

''Laurus nobilis'' is an aromatic evergreen tree or large shrub with green, glossy leaves, native to the Mediterranean region. It is one of the plants used for bay leaf seasoning in cooking. It is known as bay laurel, sweet bay, bay tree , true laurel, Grecian laurel, laurel tree or simply laurel. ''Laurus nobilis'' figures prominently in classical Greek, Roman, and Biblical culture.

Worldwide, many other kinds of plants in diverse families are also called "bay" or "laurel", generally due to similarity of foliage or aroma to ''Laurus nobilis'', and the full name is used for the California bay laurel , also in the family Lauraceae.