Laurel, Rochester Bestiary, c.1230

Laurel is an aromatic evergreen tree or large shrub with smooth green leaves. It is in the flowering plant family Lauraceae, native to the Mediterranean region, and is used as bay leaf for seasoning in cooking.

Its common names include bay tree (especially in the United Kingdom),  bay laurel, sweet bay, true laurel, Grecian laurel, or simply laurel.

Bay laurel was used to fashion the laurel wreath of ancient Greece, a symbol of highest status. A wreath of bay laurels was given as the prize at the Pythian Games because the games were in honour of Apollo, and the laurel was one of his symbols. The symbolism carried over to Roman culture, which held the laurel as a symbol of victory. It was also associated with immortality with ritual purification, prosperity and health.

Bay leaf is also used in folk medicine. Chemicals in bay leaf might affect blood sugar and cholesterol levels. People have used bay leaf to treat diabetes, common cold, high cholesterol, asthma, and many other conditions, but there is no good scientific evidence to support these uses.

Laurus autem ab hoc verbo laudo dicta est. Hac enim
capita victorum apud antiquos coronabantur.
et apud eosdem laudea nominabatur; Postea
.D. littera sublata. et subrogata .R; dicta est laurus.
Ut auricule. que antiquitus audicule dicebantur.
dicte sunt et medidies qui nunc meridies dicitur
Et medidies que nunc meridies dicitur. Hanc ar-
borem dampnem vocant. eo quod numquam deponat vi-
riditatem. Sola quoque hec arbor vulgo fulminari creditur; vel fluminari

Now the laurel is called praise from this word. For with this the heads of the victors were crowned among the ancients, and among them it was called praise. Afterwards the letter D was removed, and replaced by R; it was called the laurel. As the auricle, which in ancient times was called the ear, was also called medius, which is now called meridius. And in the middle that is now called the south, they call this tree a waste tree, because it never sheds its greenness. This tree alone is also commonly believed to be struck by lightning; or the river.