Bay Tree (Bay Leaf, Bay Leaves, Bay Laurel)
Feed Sparingly- Common Name: Bay Tree (Bay Leaf, Bay Leaves, Bay Laurel)
- Latin Name: Laurus nobilis
- Family Name: Lauraceae
The leaves of the Bay Tree that we use in the kitchen to add flavour to our cooking contain the chemical sesquiterpene lactone, which can be toxic if eaten in large quantities by grazing animals, so feed in very small quantities, if at all. In any case, Bay Leaves will probably be unpalatable to most tortoises because of their leathery, tough texture.
The leaves from the Bay Tree are easily confused with Mountain Laurel and Cherry Laurel, both of which are highly toxic, so please be sure that you have correctly identified your plant as a Bay Tree before you feed leaves to your tortoise or plant it anywhere near the enclosure.
The flowers of the Bay Tree are often white but can also be found in yellow.
The leaves from the Bay Tree are easily confused with Mountain Laurel and Cherry Laurel, both of which are highly toxic, so please be sure that you have correctly identified your plant as a Bay Tree before you feed leaves to your tortoise or plant it anywhere near the enclosure.
The flowers of the Bay Tree are often white but can also be found in yellow.
