Ocotea foetens, commonly called til or stinkwood[2] is a species of tree in the family Lauraceae.

In adult plants, the leaves are leathery in texture, glossy on both sides, darker green on the upper surface, with 2(-4) small gland-like depressions on the underside near the base.

[5] The flowers of both sexes are white, with splashes of green and pale yellow, releasing a slight odor.

The fruit is a berry, hard and fleshy and about 3 cm (1.2 in) long, its lower half covered by a dome, giving it a look similar to an acorn.

Ocotea foetens is endemic to Madeira and the Canary Islands, appearing in laurel forest habitat, generally between 400 and 1400 m altitude.

[6] It is the only Paleoendemic Ocotea species in the wetter relict forest areas of Macaronesia.

Ocotea foetens was sacred to the Bimbaches, the older inhabitants of El Hierro in the Canary Islands, and was one of their symbols.

[clarification needed] The legend states that the "Garoé" was a large laurel tree that assured the life of the Bimbaches, providing them with water in sufficient amounts for their survival.