Cinnamomum camphora Seeds | Camphor Tree
LATIN NAME: Cinnamomum camphora
COMMON NAME: Camphor Tree
Plant Profile
Camphor Tree (Cinnamomum camphora) is a tree in the laurel family. The whole tree carries the faint, clean scent of the camphor, and the old trunks build the bold, ridged bark. It grows into wide, generous crown, and it stands warm weather and city air well. It likes sun, and deep, moist, well-drained soil. The blooms are worked steadily by bees for as long as they are open. Few species give back so generously for so little effort.
Science & Biotechnology
Cinnamomum camphora sits in the laurel family, a group that keeps botanists, horticulturists and plant breeders busy with questions of classification, adaptation and ornamental potential. Aromatic chemistry of camphor laurel has a long place in research on essential oils of laurel family, and species appears in studies of warm-climate evergreen trees and historical camphor trade. The practical point for growers is that this plant has been observed in gardens for so long that its behaviour holds few surprises.
Uses & Benefits
Camphor Tree works well in borders, containers and dedicated beds. In warm garden, temple ground and avenue, camphor tree umbrellas courtyard with glossy, scented green. Timber has served chests, carvings and buildings for generations, distilled camphor has gone into salves, liniments and moth repellents, and berries feed the birds. It thrives in deep, moist, well-drained, sunny ground. After the first season it asks for very little beyond a place that suits it.
Cinnamon is a spice and a medicine chest: its bark oil and polyphenols are studied for post-meal blood-sugar support, and cassia bark, Rou Gui, is a major warming herb of Chinese medicine. The leaf oil supplies eugenol for dentistry and flavoring.
Growing from Seed
Raising Camphor Tree from seed is straightforward. Surface-sow onto a light, well-drained compost, dust over a thin covering, and keep evenly moist and sunny until the seedlings show. Pot the young plants on as they grow, harden them off gradually, and plant them into their final positions when sturdy.
Our Take
Given the right start, Camphor Tree is a long-term garden companion. Once the young plants are away, there is little left to do but watch them grow.
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