Camphor, Camphortree
Cinnamomum camphora

Family: Lauraceae

What it is like

Bloom Color: Yellow. Main Bloom Time: Early spring, Late spring, Mid spring. Form: Rounded.

Cinnamomum camphora is an evergreen Tree growing to 6 m (19ft) by 6 m (19ft) at a slow rate. See above for USDA hardiness. It is hardy to UK zone 9 and is frost tender. It is in leaf all year, in flower from March to June. The species is hermaphrodite (has both male and female organs) and is pollinated by Diptera. Suitable for: light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils and prefers well-drained soil. Suitable pH: mildly acid, neutral and basic (mildly alkaline) soils and can grow in very acid and very alkaline soils. It can grow in semi-shade (light woodland) or no shade. It prefers moist soil.

Height (m): 6

Where it is found

Banks of streams in China, to elevations of 750 metres.

E. Asia - China, Japan.

Conservation Status: This taxon has not yet been assessed.

Countries/locations it is found in

Africa, Asia, Australia, Central America, China, Cuba, East Africa, East Timor, Europe, Fiji, Haiti, Hawaii, India, Indochina, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Korea, Laos, Mozambique, Myanmar, Nepal, North America, Pacific, Pakistan, Sao Tome and Principe, SE Asia, South Africa, Southern Africa, Taiwan, Thailand, Timor-Leste, Turkey, USA, Vietnam, Zimbabwe.

How it is used

Food

Rating: 2

Young shoots and leaves - cooked. Some caution is suggested because there is a report that the plant is poisonous in large quantities. The old leaves are dried and used as a spice.

Condiment: the various plants that are used as flavourings, either as herbs, spices or condiments.

Medicine

Rating: 3

Camphor has a long history of herbal use in the Orient with a wide range of uses. It has occasionally been used internally in the treatment of hysteria, but in modern day herbalism it is mainly used as the essential oil and internal use is not advised. The wood and leaves are analgesic, antispasmodic, odontalgic, rubefacient, stimulant. An infusion is used as an inhalant in the treatment of colds and diseases of the lungs. The plant is more commonly used in the form of the essential oil which can be obtained by distillation of the chipped branches, trunk and wood of the tree, or from the leaves and twigs. Wood 24 - 40 years old is normally used. The essential oil is anthelmintic, antirheumatic, antispasmodic, cardiotonic, carminative, diaphoretic, sedative and tonic. It is used externally in liniments for treating joint and muscle pains, balms for chilblains, chapped lips, cold sores, skin diseases etc and as an inhalant for bronchial congestion. Some caution is advised, excessive use causes vomiting, palpitations, convulsions and death. It is possible that the oil can be absorbed through the skin, causing systemic poisoning. The essential oil is used in aromatherapy. Its keyword is 'Piercing'. It is used in the treatment of digestive complaints and depression. The German Commission E Monographs, a therapeutic guide to herbal medicine, approve Cinnamomum camphora for Arrhythmia, Cough/bronchitis, Hypotension, Nervous heart complaints, Rheumatism.

Analgesic: Relieves pain.

Anthelmintic: Expels parasites from the gut.

Antianxiety: Helps relieve anxiety. See also Nervine and Sedative.

Antiarrhythmic: Helps restore normal rhythm and conduction

Antirheumatic: Treats rheumatism.

Antispasmodic: Relaxes muscular spasms and cramps, calming nervous irritation.

Aromatherapy: Plants whose essential oils are used in Aromatherapy.

Cardiotonic: A tonic for the heart.

Carminative: Reduces flatulence and expels gas from the intestines.

Deodorant: Masks smells. Is this medicinal?

Diaphoretic: Induces perspiration.

Odontalgic: Treats toothache (temporary measure only) and other problems of the teeth and gums.

Rubefacient: A counter-irritant and external stimulant, it produces inflammation and redness of the skin.

Sedative: Gently calms, reducing nervousness, distress and irritation.

Stimulant: Excites or quickens activity of the physiological processes. Faster acting than a tonic but differing from a narcotic in that it does not give a false sense of well-being.

Tonic: Improves general health. Slower acting than a stimulant, it brings steady improvement.

Other

Rating: 4

The essential oil 'camphor' is obtained from the leaves and twigs. It is extracted commercially by passing a current of steam through the wood chips, 30 kilos of wood yielding 1 kilo of camphor. Camphor is used medicinally, in perfumes, as an insecticide and also to make celluloid and as a wood preservative. It can also be put in shoes to cure perspiring feet (probably by acting as a deodorant rather than preventing perspiration). The wood has been burnt as a fumigant during epidemics. Wood - beautifully grained, light brownish, takes a good polish. It is used for making furniture, cabinets, the interior finish of buildings etc.

Deodorant: A pleasant smelling plant that is used on the body to mask the human smell.

Essential: Essential oils that are used in perfumery, medicines, paint solvents, insect repellents etc.

Preservative: For food, or for treating wood, ropes etc.

Repellent: Plants that are said to deter but not necessarily kill various mammals, birds, insects etc.

Wood: A list of the trees and shrubs that are noted for having useful wood.

Agroforestry Services: Crop shade: Plants providing crop shade especially trees.

Agroforestry Services: Windbreak: Linear plantings of trees and shrubs designed to enhance crop production, protect people and livestock and benefit soil and water conservation.

Management: Coppice: Cut to the ground repeatedly - resprouting vigorously. Non-destructive management systems maintaining the soil organic carbon.

Minor Global Crop: These crops are already grown or traded around the world, but on a smaller scale than the global perennial staple and industrial crops, The annual value of a minor global crop is under $1 billion US. Examples include shea, carob, Brazil nuts and fibers such as ramie and sisal.

Agroforestry Services: Crop shade: Plants providing crop shade especially trees.

Agroforestry Services: Windbreak: Linear plantings of trees and shrubs designed to enhance crop production, protect people and livestock and benefit soil and water conservation.

Management: Coppice: Cut to the ground repeatedly - resprouting vigorously. Non-destructive management systems maintaining the soil organic carbon.

Minor Global Crop: These crops are already grown or traded around the world, but on a smaller scale than the global perennial staple and industrial crops, The annual value of a minor global crop is under $1 billion US. Examples include shea, carob, Brazil nuts and fibers such as ramie and sisal.

Carbon Farming: Plants that can be a critical part of the solution to climate problems. The Carbon Farming Solution - Eric Toensmeier.

Scented Plants: Plants noted for their scent

How it is grown

Landscape Uses:Pest tolerant, Aggressive surface roots possible, Street tree. Succeeds in most soils but prefers a fertile sandy moisture-retentive well-drained soil in full sun or light part-day shade. Tolerates a pH in the range 4.3 to 8. Camphor is grown commercially in China and Japan as a medicinal tree and also for its essential oil. It is only hardy in the milder areas of Britain, though it can survive occasional lows down to about -10°c when fully dormant. The young growth in spring, even on mature plants, is frost-tender and so it is best to grow the plants in a position sheltered from the early morning sun. There are various large trees that are growing well in Cornwall. A very slow growing tree. The roots are very sensitive to disturbance. There are some named varieties, selected for their ornamental value. Special Features: Fragrant foliage, Not North American native, Invasive, Naturalizing, Attracts butterflies, Inconspicuous flowers or blooms.

Propagating it: Seed - the seed has a short viability and is best sown as soon as it is ripe in a greenhouse. Remove the fruit pulp since this can inhibit germination. Germination can take 1 - 6 months at 20°c. Stored seed should be sown as soon as possible in a warm greenhouse. When they are large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and grow them on in a greenhouse for at least their first winter. Plant them out into their permanent positions in late spring or early summer, after the last expected frosts. Consider giving them some protection from the cold for at least their first two winters outdoors. Cuttings of semi-ripe side shoots, 7cm with a heel, June/July in a frame with bottom heat.

Best place to grow: Woodland Garden Secondary; Sunny Edge; South Wall. By. West Wall. By.

Habit: Tree

Hardiness: 9-11

Growth: Slow

Soil: Light (sandy), medium, heavy (clay)

Shade: Semi-shade, no shade

Moisture: Moist

Things to keep in mind

The plant is poisonous in large quantities. Large doses can cause respiratory failure in children. See the report below on medicinal uses for more information.

This plant can be weedy or invasive. A noxious weed throughout Queensland and central to northern New South Wales, Australia where it is suited to the wet, subtropical climate. It is invasive in Florida and Hawaii in the US.

Its other names

Local names

commonly known as camphor tree, camphorwood or camphor laurel, Ai-kanfor, Camphor, Ho wood, Kapoor, Kapur, Karppuram, Karpur, Karpurammu, Kuqmiqsail, Mushkapur, Noknamu, Pohon kapur barus, Zhang, Zhangshu.

Synonyms

Camphora officinarum. Laurus camphora.