Laurus nobilis is an aromatic evergreen tree or large shrub with green, glabrous (smooth) leaves. It is in the flowering plant family Lauraceae. It is native to the Mediterranean region and is used as bay leaf for seasoning in cooking. Its common names include bay tree (esp. United Kingdom), bay laurel, sweet bay, true laurel, Grecian laurel, or simply laurel.
Laurus nobilis figures prominently in classical Greco-Roman culture. The laurel plant and its wreath symbolise victory, honour, and achievement, with roots in Ancient Greek and Roman cultures where laurel wreaths were awarded to victors in athletic and military competitions.
The symbolism also extends to wisdom and the arts, as it was sacred to Apollo, and to poets crowned as "poets laureate". In modern times, the laurel wreath represents academic accomplishment at graduation: The Bachelors degree is from the Latin Baccalaureatus, meaning crowned with bay laurel. The wreath of laurel is also used to commemorate fallen soldiers.
Worldwide, many other kinds of plants in diverse families are also called "bay" or "laurel", generally due to similarity of foliage or aroma to Laurus nobilis.
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