The camphor tree ( Cinnamomum camphora ) is a tree in the Lauraceae family, native to southern China, Taiwan, and Japan. It has a very leafy and harmonious umbrella-shaped crown and can reach a height of 20 meters. It is a long-lived tree, and those who have a camphor tree in their garden will enjoy its ample shade. I invite you to learn more about the camphor tree.
The Camphor or Camphor Tree
This beautiful tree, the Camphor Tree, scientifically known as Cinnamomum camphora , belongs to the Lauraceae family, along with avocado and cinnamon, due to some shared characteristics. It can reach a height of 20 meters, with a leafy crown measuring 6 to 7 meters in diameter. Its evergreen leaves make it a tree distinguished by its consistently green foliage.
It comes from the Asian continent of southern China, Taiwan and Japan. Although an extensive population of camphor trees is known on the Pacific coast of the United States of America. It adapts well to temperatures between 9 to 10°C and does not tolerate frost. It is a very beautiful tree due to its harmonious crown and bright green leaves, as well as the good structure of its branches. Camphor oil is extracted from the wood of this tree.
Camphor Description
The trunk and branches of these trees, when mature, are covered with a rough, gray bark. It is an evergreen tree with leathery, oval-shaped leaves that taper to a point. When they first emerge, the leaves have pinkish hues and turn bright green as they mature. The exception is the variety *C . camphora. glaucecens* , whose leaves are bluish. As the leaves shed, they turn a deep red.
Its alternate leaves are bright green, oval in shape, leathery and acuminate in texture, have three main nerves and a small gland can be seen in the leaf axils. Between the months of May to June is its flowering season, its flowers are small yellowish white, which grow in a corymbose panicle-type inflorescence that emerge from its axils. The fruit of the camphor tree is a berry that looks like a red balloon that turns black when ripe.
Properties
By distilling its leaves and wood of this Camphor tree, camphor oil is extracted, it can be used as an antiseptic and antirheumatic. The external application of camphor oil or its alcohol content helps relieve headaches and neuralgia. With the camphor sidewalk it serves to relieve toothaches. In low doses it is sedative, antispasmodic, diaphoretic, anthelmintic and balsamic.
Contraindication
Its use is suggested to be carried out under medical supervision due to the fact that in large doses it is sleep-inducing and irritating. If intoxicated, you can have gastric pain, nausea, hardness and muscle weakness. If the birds smell its vapors, they can die in about 15 minutes.
Camphor Taxonomy
The species Cinnamomum camphora was first described in 1825 by (L.) J.Presl and published in O Prirozenosti rostlin, aneb rostlinar 2: 47. 1825.2
The generic name “ Cinnamomum” was taken from the Greek word Kinnamon or Kinnamomon, meaning sweet wood. This Greek word likely originated from Semitic languages, and in Hebrew, the term “quinamon” is associated with the word Kayu manis, which in the languages of the people of Malaysia and Indonesia means sweet wood. The species name “ camphora” is a Latin adjective meaning “camphor.”
Its synonymy or different scientific names, which have been placed on this plant species are: camphora camphora (L.) H.Karst., Camphora hahnemannii lukman; Camphora hippocratei lukman; camphor japonica Garsault; Camphora officinarum Nees; Camphora officinarum Bauh; Camphora officinarum there. glaucescens A.Braun; camphora vera Raff; Camphorina camphora (L.) Farw; Cinnamomum camphoriferum St.-Lag; Cinnamomum officinarum Nees ex Steud; laurus camphora L. basonym; Laurus camphorifera went outb; laurus gracilis G. Don; ocotea japonica (Garsault) Thell; persea camphora spreng and persea camphora (L.) Spreng.
Maintenance and cultivation of Camphor
It can be planted in places that receive direct sunlight or in a semi-shaded place, due to its fragile brittle branches, it is suggested to plant it near other trees or other elements that serve as protection from frost and strong winds. The soil must have good drainage, so that it does not flood, be a soil with a good supply of nutrients, porous and medium texture.
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It adapts to different pH, that is, to different levels of acidity in the soil. Planting in the spring and fall seasons is suggested. The frequency of irrigation water is suggested to be moderate, every 3 or 4 days in summer and even if the rainfall in the place where the camphor tree is planted is high, it is better not to water this tree. It is a tree without pest and disease problems. Pruning is recommended to be light training.
This tree that is grown in temperate regions with defined seasons, it is suggested to fertilize from the beginning of the spring season to the beginning of the autumn season. Likewise, it is recommended to apply compost or organic fertilizers such as: guano, manure or compost, once a month.
Planting and propagation of Camphor
The transfer from the nursery to the definitive sowing place, has to be in the spring season. When the transplant is carried out and you are removing the tree from the nursery bag, you have to be careful with its roots, because if you damage them you can slow down its development or even the tree will not survive the transplant.
Propagation by seeds
It multiplies sexually by seed or by asexual reproduction by cuttings or cuttings from young branches (semi-woody). When you reproduce it from seed, it will take longer to grow and develop, but you will have a new tree adapted to the place where it is being propagated and growing. The steps to follow for its reproduction by seeds are the following:
- In a sowing tray, fill with the sowing substrate
- In order to moisten the substrate, it is watered.
- The seeds are placed, two seeds are placed for each cavity of the seedbed (seedbeds can have between 6 to 12 cavities) and then a small layer of substrate is placed.
- It is watered with a sprayer, to moisten the seeds without damaging them.
- The tray with the seeds is placed on another tray that does not have holes. Henceforth, every time the seeds are watered, the water will be poured into the tray without holes so that the water is absorbed from the bottom up.
- Both trays are placed in one place, be it a counter in semi-shade, the substrate must be kept moist. In a period of approximately one month the seeds will germinate. A first transplant can be done to a larger nursery bag or to a permanent place, when the roots come out of the seed tray.
Propagation by cuttings
- The juvenile branches that are semi-woody are selected, to cut between 15 to 20 centimeters long. To carry out this activity you can use pruning shears, a previously disinfected handsaw. You can disinfect, first by washing the tools, then with cotton and alcohol disinfect
- Once the branches are cut, impregnate the base of the branch with rooting hormone (to accelerate root production).
- The substrate is placed in a pot or nursery bag and a hole of about 5 centimeters is opened with the finger
- The stake or cutting is placed inside the hole and a little more substrate is placed, to strengthen the stake or cutting and it is carefully watered, it can be with a spray bottle to moisten the substrate.
- The pots or bags with the cuttings are taken to a semi-shaded place, so that they take root.
- Between 1 month and 2 months it will have rooted, it will be observed that the first three leaves sprout, the moment of transplantation is when the third leaf of the seedling has already grown.
Camphor Uses
Ornamental plant: Due to the aesthetic beauty of this tree, it is used as an ornamental plant. It is usually planted in parks and gardens, respecting the distances because it has a very extensive root system, so it is suggested to plant it away from walls and pipes.
Medicinal plant: Due to the composition of its wood and leaves, it is considered a medicinal plant. Camphor, used for rheumatism and as an antiseptic, is obtained from the distillation of these parts of the camphor tree.
As a forest tree: In the wood industry, it is polished and used to make furniture, finish interiors of homes and other joinery work.
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