Cinnamomum bodinieri seed

LATIN NAME: Camphora bodinieri

COMMON NAME: Bodinier’s Camphor Tree, Sichuan Camphor

Bodinier’s camphor tree is a handsome and aromatic tree of the southern Chinese countryside, and its glossy, aromatic foliage and its spreading crown make it a familiar presence along the roads and the streams of its home. It grows as an evergreen tree of the laurel family, reaching up to sixteen metres, with a broad, rounded crown of glossy, leathery, aromatic, oval leaves and, in the warm season, the small, inconspicuous, greenish flowers, followed by the small, dark, berry-like fruits. It is a species of the laurel family, native to southern China, and it is typically found in the situations with more light, such as along the roads and the streams or in the open forests and the thickets, while its essential oil is high in citral, and it is used as a street tree in a number of the southern Chinese cities.

Bodinier’s camphor tree belongs to the laurel family, Lauraceae, and it is a species of flowering plant native to southern China, reaching sixteen metres, typically found in the situations with more light, such as along the roads and the streams or in the open forests and the thickets. It is known as the Bodinier’s camphor tree, and it is prized for its glossy, aromatic foliage and its essential oil, which is high in citral.

Scientific Research & Plant Biotechnology

Bodinier’s camphor tree has a genuine and growing place in both chemical and ecological research. It has been studied in chemistry and in the research on the essential oils, since the foliage and the wood of the tree carry a fine, aromatic oil, and researchers have examined the composition of the oil, which is notably high in the citral, and its potential uses, while the aromatic oils of the camphor trees and their relatives have been of continuing interest, and the citral-rich oil of the tree has drawn attention in the international aroma and botanical press as a fragrant subject of study. The tree has also been studied in ecology, since it is a native of southern China, typically found in the more open, well-lit places, and researchers have examined its growth, its role in the forest and the thicket communities and its value to the wildlife, while the street trees of the southern Chinese cities have been examined, and the use of the tree in the greening of the cities has been examined. The species has also been studied in horticulture, since it is a handsome, glossy, aromatic tree, and its cultivation has been examined. For a tree of such fragrance and such usefulness, Bodinier’s camphor tree has a steady and growing record of research.

Ecological & Economic Value & Wide Applications

Ecologically, Bodinier’s camphor tree is a handsome tree of the southern Chinese landscape. Its glossy crown gives shelter, its small fruits feed the birds, and its aromatic foliage perfumes the air, while it is a familiar presence along the roads and the streams of its home.

Its economic value is real. The tree yields a fine, aromatic essential oil, notably high in the citral, which is of continuing interest in the aroma and the botanical research, and the tree is used as a street tree in a number of the southern Chinese cities, while its handsome, glossy foliage has drawn attention in the international horticultural press. For a grower, Bodinier’s camphor tree is a rewarding and aromatic tree, and for a gardener in a warm region it brings glossy, scented foliage and a spreading crown. The seeds need only warmth — sow them fresh in a pot of moist, free-draining compost in a warm, sunny or lightly shaded spot, keep them lightly watered, and they’ll sprout within a few weeks, growing on into a handsome, aromatic-leaved tree.