Blue laurel tree
Litsea firma

Family: Lauraceae

What it is like

A small evergreen tree. It can grow to 40 m tall. It can have buttresses 2.5 m tall. The leaves are alternate and simple. Leaves are 9 cm long by 4.5 cm wide. The leaves are dull pale green underneath. They are slightly rough. The veins are easy to see and are yellow. It has small bundles of flowers on branches below the leaves. The fruit are 11 mm long. They are red to purple.

There are 200 or 400 Litsea species.

Where it is found

It is a tropical plant. It grows naturally in mountain forest. It can grow in swamp forest. It grows up to 500 m above sea level. It can grow on sandy and clay soils.

Countries/locations it is found in

Asia, Indochina, Indonesia, Malaysia, Pacific, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, SE Asia, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam

How it is used for food

Edible parts

Leaves

How it is grown

Plants can be grown by seeds.

Its other names

Local names

Medang, Medang pirawas, Pohon medang biru, Pohon medang senalang

Synonyms

Litsea cylindrocarpa Gamble; Litsea turfosa Kosterm.; Tetranthera firma Blume;