Thanks for the info based on other pictures and info I've seen on the web it definitely looks like a Cinnamomum camphora. I also read on one of those websites that this tree is considered a dangerous weed to the environment and causes harm to other plants and animals as well as humans. Is there anything I need to worry about with this tree?
I agree it's C. camphora, camphor laurel. Whether it's "a dangerous weed to the environment" in your area probably depends on climate. Certainly in coastal eastern Australia in subtropical latitudes it is one of our worst tree weeds, but I don't know about its behavior in LA with its summer-dry climate. You need to check with local sources of information. I am not aware that camphor laurel is poisonous to any dangerous degree. Birds eat the berries and their distribution of the seeds is one reason for its weedy potential. Over here the abundance of its fruit in winter has led to a build-up of populations of certain omnivore birds, principally the currawong, which also happen to be nest-predators of other birds and hence results in decreases in some other species. Another alleged property is the inhibiting nature of its leaf litter on growth of other plants. Gardeners in Sydney are aware that few plants will grow well beneath a camphor laurel, but it's possible that that may be due to factors such as shading and root competition.
