Herb: Chilean Laurel


Latin name: Laurelia sempervirens


Synonyms: Laurelia aromatica, Laurelia serrata


Family: Atherospermataceae



Medicinal use of Chilean Laurel:

Nervine, skin. It is also used in the treatment of colds, paralysis, stomach problems and VD.

Description of the plant:



Plant:
Evergreen
Tree

Height:
15 m
(49 feet)

Flowering:
April


Scent:
Scented
Tree

Habitat of the herb:

Moist and wet soils in forests, deep gullies and creek beds.

Edible parts of Chilean Laurel:

The bark and leaves are used as a spice. The fruit and the seed are used.

Other uses of the herb:

Wood - not durable, malodorous if cut across the grain. Used in construction. It burns well but gives little heat.

Propagation of Chilean Laurel:

Seed - sow February or March in a warm greenhouse. Germination rates are variable. When they are large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and grow them on in the greenhouse for at least their first winter. Plant them out into their permanent positions in late spring or early summer, after the last expected frosts, and consider giving them some protection from the cold for their first winter or two outdoors. Cuttings of half-ripe wood, 5 - 8cm with a heel, July/August in individual pots in sandy soil in a frame. Keep them moist. Fair percentage. Layering in spring.

Cultivation of the herb:

Moist and wet soils in forests, deep gullies and creek beds.

Known hazards of Laurelia sempervirens:

None known

Plant information taken from the Plants For A Future.