Persea borbonia

Redbay

Family: Lauraceae

Zone: 8-9                               Average Size: 40’H x 20’W

Identification:

-Upright form with a dense canopy, usually multiple stems
-Simple leaf, elliptic-lanceolate, thick, dark green and lustrous above, aromatic, evergreen
-Fruit is a dark blue drupe, ½ inch long with a persistent calyx and a red pedicel in late autumn and winter

Note: The Redbay is a small evergreen tree found growing in wet soils along coastal regions of the southeastern United States. The foliage is aromatic and when dried the leaf is used as a cooking spice. Although an attractive, small evergreen tree, the Redbay is prone to leaf galls that affect the plant in late summer.

Campus Location: Life Sciences, south courtyard