You may have wondered if there’s any reason to have a bay laurel in your survival box. This could be because you saw bay leaves listed as a plant beneficial to survival on some plants OR one or your prepper friends cultivate the plant. Whatever your reason is, the answer is yes. Bay laurel can indeed help you to survive in the wild or when SHTF.
Bay leaves are leaves of the bay laurel plant, and I assume you’ve used them as a seasoning in your stews & soups on more than one occasion. But do you know of their health benefits? This herb has a wide range of medicinal uses, from fostering concentration to pain relief. In the wilderness, I believe we all know that every help is welcome.
Health Conditions That Can be Treated Using Bay Leaves
According to credible 2017 research, bay leaves boast 55 different compounds, including antioxidants & other highly beneficial chemicals. Thus, the leaves have remarkable properties. For example, a publication of Phytotherapy Research reported that bay leaf essential oil treated pain as effectively as morphine, while another study has revealed that bay leaves can cause injuries to heal faster & better.
Apparently, bay leaf is invaluable in the wilderness, where there is always the risk of developing a common illness or suffering a wound. Having a remedy made from the leaves at hand will ease a lot of conditions.
According to research by several reputable organizations, bay leaf has helped to prevent or improve the symptoms of these conditions:
- Cancer;
- Chronic anxiety;
- Dandruff;
- Fungal or bacterial infections;
- High blood sugar;
- High cholesterol levels;
- Inflammation — which is the remote cause of nearly every disease;
- Intestinal gassiness & bloating;
- Pain;
- Respiratory conditions;
- Skin deficiencies like eczema & psoriasis;
- Stomach ulcers; &
- Wounds.
Steps to Grow Bay Laurel
You can easily find bay leaves in supermarkets, but I believe that growing yours will provide you with a fresher & more useful source. Fortunately, it is easy to cultivate. Bay laurel is hardly in USDA zones 8 & higher but will not survive the winter in frosty areas.
So, if your region is very cold during winter, you should grow the plant in a container & move inside when the snow arrives & return outside in summer. A bay laurel tree will grow to a maximum height of 18 meters (60 feet) if planted outdoors, although it can be sheared or pruned to something smaller when grown indoors. Bay plant grows well in containers where it has the chance to stay compact as it should.
Like I said earlier, bay laurel is very easy to grow.
Of course, the first step to take is buying a plant that has survived its first few weeks. You can easily get this in a herb nursery or the local garden center. This is also an easier way. However, should you choose to start with the seeds, you can get them without difficulties too.
Final Thoughts on Any Reason to Have Bay Laurel in Your Survival Box
After planting, the next steps are fairly easy. All that follows is what follows if you were planting any other tree. Just know that the plant does finest in full sun with occasional shade, prefers soil rich in organic matter & will be more nutritious if mulched.
Also, do not over-water the plant. Watering should be once a week or even less often if the rains are frequent. The tree grows slowly & nothing much is required of you.
Bay leaf has its uses & is luckily easy to get. So, have you found any reason to have bay laurel in your survival box? Of course, I expect a resounding YES!