Interesting. Thanks!

Looks totally, 100% like Laurus nobilis to me. No question. Buds, bark, leaves, everything. They grow all over the place here and selfseed widely so I see a lot. Leaf shape is fairly variable. Also the scent should be unmistakable. Very difficult to grow from a cutting. Look for seedlings or suckers around the base of the parent.

Not sure my friend will let me go digging in her garden but I may give the cutting a shot since I've already potted it up. Thanks!

I've often dug up seedlings only a couple of inches tall. Any bigger and they get a deep root. But removing a little one will not even make a dent in the soil. But to get seedlings her tree needs to be a mature female. Does it get berries? If you do cuttings the piece in your hand will make at least 6 cuttings. Four from the stem and I see at least two side shoots. It's too big to try as one.

I have very little sense of smell, but I had hubby check and he said the leaves don't smell like anything. Does that make it not Laurus nobilis?

Looks just like bay laurel. As mentioned that branching section you took isn't a cutting, these would instead be made using sections of stems that consist only of the last flush of growth. And this being spring these sections are too young and soft to be used for cuttings of a broad-leaf evergreen plant such as bay laurel - such is typically a late summer or early fall activity. But do a search for something like "Laurus cuttings" to see what the parameters are. And what methods are described.

You have to crunch up a leaf to smell it and older leaves are stronger. But, whether you can smell it or not, I could not be more certain that this is Laurus nobilis, a tree I see every day of my life. Propagation by cuttings is difficult but is described here: https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2006/aug/12/gardens2

I managed to get in touch with my friend and she confirms it is Laurus nobilis. You guys know your plants! I'll see if I can find any seedlings if I can get back there. By fall she'll have either sold the property or rented it out again, so I won't be able to get back there for cuttings at that point.

If she's going to move anyway I shouldn't think she'd mind you digging a sucker it there are any. It'll only produce seedlings if it's a female.

Or you could buy a small inexpensive plant from a garden center or other source that sells small potted herbs.

I live fairly rurally so that's not always as easy as it sounds, but I will pick one up if I come across one. I've had my eye out for the last couple years actually.