Cinnamomum camphora - Camphor tree

The Cinnamomum camphora, also known as the Camphor tree or Camphor laurel, will charm you with its imposing stature and rapid growth, as well as its abundant, aromatic, light green evergreen foliage, and its flowers followed by fruit in the form of black berries.

The Camphor tree belongs to the Lauraceae family and originates from southern Asia: China, Taiwan, and Japan. Standing at 5 to 10 meters tall, its graceful habit gives it elegance and distinction.

The young leaves of the Cinnamomum camphora are initially pinkish turning light green. Aromatic when crushed, they release a strong scent of camphor. They are evergreen, ovate, pointed, and about ten centimetres long. In spring the leaves are accompanied by cream-coloured panicle flowers measuring approximately 6 to 8 cm (2.4 - 3.1in). They are followed by berries in the shape of shiny black peas. Its thick, rough, grey, and then green bark gives it great individuality.

Enhance the Cinnamomum camphora by creating a Japanese ground cover at its base in the fusei style (poetic and romantic). This composition is based on a succession of freely arranged green spots and cool colours that are capable of functioning and vibrating in light and shadow. We recommend ophiopogon, which can be associated with perennials and other bulbs such as epimedium, white freesia, and lungwort, which flower between white and blue to enhance its evergreen foliage. The Cinnamomum camphora is recommended in single plantings due to its height.

Easy to grow, the camphor tree thrives in full sun or partial shade, in any rich and well-drained soil. To encourage the growth of its roots in heavy soils, and to ensure the trunk grows straight, follow a two-step process. Dig a first hole with a minimum diameter of one metre and a depth of sixty centimetres, then a second hole of thirty centimetres that you will fill with compost. Once the tree is in place, fill the hole with alternating layers of manure and freshly removed soil. Finish with a layer of mulch and generous watering.

Note:

The camphor tree is an iconic tree in the city of Hiroshima as it, along with the Ginkgo biloba, survived the atomic bomb. It is known for its essential oil, camphor, with antiseptic and heart-strengthening properties, as well as for its wood, which has fungicidal properties and is used to make furniture such as wardrobes, chests, and trunks that were once used to transport precious furs.