One of only two Laurel species; a widely used dense evergreen shrub or small tree whose leaves are rich in essential oils and used for flavoring, aromatherapy, and medicine. The Laurel tree is associated with Apollo, the healing god.In Ancient Greece laurel leaves were used for fortune-telling and good luck. The winners of the ancient Olympic Games were given wreaths of laurel leaves, placed on top of their heads as highly recognition of their achievements. Laurel was used in ancient Greece to fumigate or cleanse a space to protect against infections and diseases.