Camphor tree
Cinnamomum camphora (L.) J.Presl
Camphor tree (Cinnamomum camphora) is an evergreen tree whose wood and leaves are rich in aromatic oil, best known for camphor distilled from its timber. The fragrant wood is used in furniture, carving and moth-repelling chests.
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Camphor tree — Whole treeCamphor tree — Whole tree
Camphor tree — Trunk & bark
Camphor tree — Leaves
Camphor tree — Flowers
Camphor tree — PlantCamphor tree — Whole treeCamphor tree — Whole treeOverview
A large tree 20–30 m tall with a broad crown and glossy, ovate leaves that smell of camphor when crushed. The wood is pale yellow to reddish-brown, close-grained and oily, and every part — trunk, branches, leaves and roots — is aromatic.
Distilling the wood and leaves yields camphor oil and solid camphor, used in fragrance, insect repellent, medicine and plastics. The species is widely planted across Asia for shade, industry and amenity, though it can become invasive in some subtropical regions.
Life cycle
From seed to productSeed
Ripe black berries are collected; seeds are cleaned and sown in pots under light shade.
Sapling
Young trees need partial shade and grow fairly fast; juvenile leaves are soft and lightly aromatic.
Mature tree
Trees reach 20–30 m with a broad crown, releasing the characteristic camphor scent on warm days.
Harvest & distillation
Wood and leaves are steam-distilled to obtain oil and crystallised camphor.
Distribution & origin
Share of recorded occurrences by region- China35%
- Japan · Taiwan22%
- Vietnam18%
- India · Southeast Asia15%
- Other plantings10%
Chemical composition
Relative content in agarwood resin- CamphorCrystalline, cooling camphor45%
- 1,8-CineoleEucalyptus-like20%
- SafroleSweet, restricted compound9%
- Linalool · Limonene · othersLight floral notes26%
Uses
- Furniture, carving, moth-repelling chests
- Camphor oil for medicine and fragrance
- Shade, amenity and avenue tree
Properties
- Scent
- Cool, sharp, lasting camphor
- Wood
- Pale yellow, fine-grained, fragrant
- Distillation
- Steam from wood & leaves
Habitat & conservation
Humid evergreen forest, valleys and foothills of the subtropics; thrives on deep, moist, well-drained soils from lowland to about 1,000 m.
Conservation
Not globally threatened (IUCN: Least Concern). Exploited for timber and oil yet widely cultivated and still abundant; in parts of Australia and some islands it is treated as an invasive species to manage.
References
- 1Plants of the World Online — Cinnamomum camphora — Kew Science, 2024
- 2IUCN Red List — Cinnamomum camphora — IUCN, 2019
- 3The Essential Oils (Guenther) — camphor oil — Van Nostrand, 1952
- 4Hình ảnh minh hoạ lấy từ Wikimedia Commons, tôn trọng giấy phép ghi kèm — Wikimedia Commons,
- 5Nguồn ảnh: Martinvl (CC BY-SA 4.0), Wikimedia Commons — Wikimedia Commons,
- 6Nguồn ảnh: harum.koh from Kobe city, Japan (CC BY-SA 2.0), Wikimedia Commons — Wikimedia Commons,
- 7Nguồn ảnh: Photo by David J. Stang (CC BY-SA 4.0), Wikimedia Commons — Wikimedia Commons,
- 8Nguồn ảnh: John Robert McPherson (CC BY-SA 4.0), Wikimedia Commons — Wikimedia Commons,
- 9Nguồn ảnh: Không rõ tác giả (CC BY-SA 3.0), Wikimedia Commons — Wikimedia Commons,