What Tree Is the Camphor Tree? A Guide to the Latest Knowledge About the Camphor Tree
The camphor tree is an evergreen large tree of the genus Cinnamomum in the family Lauraceae, order Laurales. Also known as camphor, zhangshu, camphorwood, stinking camphor, and black camphor, it is an excellent landscaping tree, street tree, and shade tree. The entire plant has a camphor aroma and can be used to produce camphor and extract camphor oil. The wood is hard and attractive, suitable for making furniture and boxes. It is resistant to harmful gases such as chlorine, sulfur dioxide, ozone, and fluorine gas, can repel mosquitoes and flies, and can withstand short-term flooding.
The camphor tree can reach a height of 30 m and a diameter of 3 m. Its crown is broadly ovate. The branches, leaves, and wood all have a camphor odor. The bark is yellowish-brown with irregular longitudinal fissures. The terminal buds are broadly ovate or spherical, with scales that are broadly ovate or nearly round, slightly covered with silky hairs on the outside. The branchlets are cylindrical, light brown, and hairless. The leaves are alternate, ovate-elliptic, with acutely pointed tips and broadly cuneate to nearly rounded bases, with entire, cartilaginous margins. The petioles are slender, 2-3 cm long, concave above and convex below, hairless. When young, the bark is green and smooth; when old, it gradually becomes yellowish-brown or grayish-brown with longitudinal fissures.
The camphor tree's panicles are axillary and stalked, and along with the axes at all levels they are either hairless or covered with grayish-white to yellowish-brown fine pubescence, with the hairs often especially obvious at the nodes. The flowers are greenish-white or tinged with yellow, hairless. The outside of the perianth is hairless or finely pubescent, while the inside is densely covered with short pubescence. The perianth tube is obconical, and the perianth lobes are elliptic. The ovary is spherical and hairless. The fruit is ovoid or nearly spherical, purplish-black. The fruit receptacle is cup-shaped, truncate at the apex, with longitudinal grooves. The flowering period is April to May, and the fruiting period is August to November.
The camphor tree is mostly light-loving, slightly shade-tolerant, and prefers a warm, humid climate. It is not very cold-hardy and is suited to growing in sandy loam. It is relatively tolerant of moisture, but when transplanting, care must be taken to maintain soil moisture; waterlogging can easily cause root rot and death from lack of oxygen. However, it is not tolerant of drought, poor soil, or saline-alkaline soil. Its main root is well developed and deep-rooted, so it can resist wind. It has strong sprouting ability and tolerates pruning. Its growth rate is moderate, and its tree form is huge and umbrella-like, able to provide shade and coolness.
The roots, wood, branches, and leaves of the camphor tree can all be used to extract camphor and camphor oil. Camphor is used in medicine, plastics, explosives, preservation, insecticide, and other applications, while camphor oil can be used as a raw material for pesticides, ore dressing, soap making, varnish, and essences. According to scientists' research, chemical substances released by the camphor tree, such as pinene bicyclic hydrocarbon, camphene, limonene, and eugenol, have the ability to purify toxic air, have anti-cancer effects, have insect-repellent effects, and filter out fresh, clean air that refreshes the heart and mind. The wood is of high quality, resistant to insect damage and moisture, and is used for construction, shipbuilding, furniture, boxes and cabinets, boards, carving, and more.
The camphor tree has dense branches and leaves, a large crown with deep shade, and a majestic form. It can absorb smoke and dust, conserve water, stabilize soil and prevent wind erosion, and beautify the environment. It is an excellent tree species for urban greening and is widely used as a shade tree, street tree, shelterbelt, and scenic forest, often for ornamental landscaping in gardens. Whether planted in clumps, groups, or singly in lawns, or used as a background tree, it is majestic and spectacular. Because of its strong resistance to various toxic gases and its strong ability to absorb and retain dust, as well as its ability to absorb harmful gases, it is often used in cities and industrial and mining areas.