This evergreen tree is the Bay Rum Tree, Pimenta racemosa. It is native to the Caribbean and parts of northern South America, so it is very much at home in our tropical climate. It belongs to the myrtle family, Myrtaceae, which also includes guava, allspice and eucalyptus.

Its most memorable feature is the fragrance of its leaves. When a leaf is gently crushed, it releases a strong, warm, spicy scent that may remind you of cloves, cinnamon and citrus. That fragrance comes from aromatic oils stored within the leaf.

The leaves are simple, leathery and usually arranged in opposite pairs. They are glossy green above and paler beneath. Small oil glands may be visible if a leaf is held up to the light.

The tree produces clusters of small white flowers with many prominent stamens, giving them a soft, brush-like appearance. These are followed by small, rounded fruits that change from green to dark brown or black as they mature. Birds may eat the fruits and help distribute the seeds.

Bay Rum Tree has a long history of use in the Caribbean. Its aromatic leaves were traditionally steeped or distilled in rum and other liquids to make bay rum—a fragrant preparation used as an aftershave, cologne, hair tonic and body rub. The tree has also been used in traditional remedies and occasionally as a flavoring. Kew records medicinal, environmental and food uses for the species.

It is important not to confuse this plant with the Mediterranean bay leaf, Laurus nobilis, commonly used in European cooking. They are unrelated plants, and Bay Rum leaves are valued primarily for their aromatic oil rather than as an ordinary culinary bay leaf.

This is a tree that invites us to use more than our eyes. Its flowers and foliage are attractive, but its true identity becomes apparent when we experience its fragrance—a scent closely connected with the cultural history of the Caribbean.