Lauraceae
Trees or shrubs , to 45 m; twigs terete, glabrous or sparsely appressed-pubescent, rarely minutely tomentose. Leaf blade deep yellow-green, shiny, narrowly oblong or narrowly elliptic, 3-10 × 1.5-3 cm, base acute or obtuse, apex acute; surfaces abaxially glabrous, sparsely appressed-pubescent or minutely tomentose, adaxially glabrous; domatia absent. Inflorescences pubescent. Flowers 5-10; tepals 6-8 mm. Drupe usually solitary, 2 cm or more diam. 2 n =24.
They do not reproduce until they are 30-40 years old.
Chaparral, Foothill Woodland, Yellow Pine Forest, Mixed Evergreen Forest, Redwood Forest, wetland-riparian
Mar- May
The Cahuilla, Chumash, Pomo, Miwok, Yuki, and Salinan are among the California tribes that value California laurel trees for its many uses including fumigant, food (seeds, leaves, fruits), medicine (leaves) USDA
B
bees visit, but may or may not be the pollinator
Seeds/fruits are eaten by jays, woodrats and squirrels.