Cherry laurel and laurel are often used interchangeably. However, this can cause confusion. In this article you will find out what the cherry laurel or the laurel cherry and the real laurel are actually all about.
What is the difference between cherry laurel and real laurel?
The main difference between cherry laurel (Prunus laurocerasus) and real laurel (Laurus nobilis) is the use: real laurel is a well-known culinary spice, while cherry laurel is poisonous and should not be consumed. Visually they differ in leaf gloss and inflorescence.
Is cherry laurel synonymous with bay leaf?
Strictly speaking, cherry laurel is not the same as bay leaf. They are twodifferent plants that don't even belong to the same family. This is clear from the botanical names:
- The cherry laurel is called Prunus laurocerasus.
- The real laurel is called Laurus nobilis.
How do cherry laurel and real laurel differ?
The most important difference between cherry laurel and real laurel is thatthe real one is often used as a spice in the kitchen, while cherry laurel is considered poisonous and therefore should not be eaten.
Despite all the basic similarities, there are a fewoptical differences:
- Leaves: are shiny on cherry laurel, but matt on real laurel
- Flowers: Cherry laurel grows in bunches and protrudes beyond the leaves; Grow between the leaves of the real laurel
And: The cherry laurel is more winter hardy than the real laurel.
Where does the confusion between cherry laurel and laurel come from?
There are essentially two reasons why cherry laurel and (real) laurel are often confused:
- Due tolinguistic convenience “cherry laurel” is often abbreviated to “laurel”.
- The cherry laurel and the real laurelare visually similar to each other.
Tip
Cherry laurel – a confusing name for the plant
The term “cherry laurel” is misleading. Because the bush does not belong to the laurel genus, but to the cherries. It would actually be more appropriate to call the plant cherry laurel, although this would probably suggest that you could eat the berries of the cherry laurel, which in reality is NOT the case.
