There is a unique tree in our region that is the sole species in the genus Umbellularia. Locally this tree is known as California Laurel, California Bay Laurel, or California Bay. In oregon it is commonly called Oregon Myrtle. Other common names include Pepperwood, Spicebush, Cinnamon Bush, Perrewood Tree, and Headache Tree.
The scientific name of this tree is Umbellularia californica. This tree species is endemic to the California Floristic Province and is found within the Coast Ranges, the Cascade Range, and along the western Sierra Nevadas with distribution from about Coos Bay OR south to San Diego CA.
The flowers are small, yellowish-green in color, and are in a cluster called an "umbel" (umbrella-like, thus the scientific name which means "little umbel"). The fragrant leaves give off a strong pungent odor (the chemical Umbellulone) when crushed, and this odor can cause a sinus-headache if inhaled too deeply. The fruit is a round, greenish berry, maturing to reddish-purple, that contains an edible nut.
Umbellularia was used by the Native Americans, including the Cahuilla, Chumash, Pomo, Miwok, Coos and Salinin peoples for medicinal purposes, the fleshy part of the fruit to eat at a certain stage of ripeness, and the nut itself for roasted kernels to eat. The flavor of roasted nuts resembles roasted coffee. The leaf can be used as seasoning for cooking such as in stews and roasts, in similar fashion to the Mediterranean bay leaf, but it is spicier and should be used in smaller quantities.
