- the plant family Lauraceae, characterized by evergreen or deciduous trees having simple, leathery leaves, aromatic bark and foliage, clusters of small green or yellow flowers, and fruit in the form of a berry or drupe, and including the avocado, bay, laurels of the genera Laurus and Umbellularia, sassafras, spicebush (Lindera benzoin), and the trees that yield camphor and cinnamon.
