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Umbellularia californica - Helps and Hinders Headaches

Bay leaves surpassed

We have all heard of Laurus nobilis leaves, more commonly known as the bay tree, being used in cooking. Surprisingly, they are the weak alternative to the Californian bay laurel, Umbellularia californica. Umbellularia leaves have been used in the same way as bay leaves but are reported to be twice as strong.

Got a headache? Want a headache?

Umbellularia californica is the sole species in the genus Umbellularia but is closely related to the better known avocado. Unfortunately the fruit is very small and not as palatable as an avocado due to large quantities of volatile aromatic oils. The flip side of these oils is they give the bay leaves their characteristic smell.

The leaves and fruit are well known to the Native Americans, who use them in a variety of medicines and foods. The strangest use is the scent from the leaves can be used to cure headaches, but if these aromatic oils are inhaled for too long they can actually cause a severe headache in some people. This gives the plant its other common name, the headache tree.

• Evergreen tree to 30m but can be coppiced at any time or hedged to keep small. Even large trees shoot from the base if cut down to 20 cm tall.
• Native to Oregon, California and San Diego County.
• The wood is hard and very fine, being used as a wood for making acoustic guitars.

Umbellularia californica can be seen in the North and South American borders in the Geographic Collection at Dunedin Botanic Garden.

Dylan Norfield is the Geographic and Arboretum Collection Curator at Dunedin Botanic Garden.