Bitterroot Restoration

Order: Laurales
Family: Lauraceae
Common name: Tejpata, Tamal(Beng.); Bay leaf(Eng.).
Life cycle: Perennial
Native Range: Found in the mid hills of Nepal and India.

Cinnamomum tamala is a moderate sized evergreen tree attaining a height of 8 m, and a girth of 150 cm. Its bark produces mucilage. Bay leaves are shorter and light to medium green in color, with one large vein down the length of the leaf; while tejpat are about twice as long and wider than laurel leaves. They are usually olive green in color, may have some brownish spots and have three veins down the length of the leaf. True tejpat leaves impart a strong cassia- or cinnamon-like aroma to dishes, while the bay leaf's aroma is more reminiscent of pine and lemon.

Leaves and bark are widely used as spice and essential oils for flavouring food and formulating traditional medicines.