The stems are bright green and tinted with red on young camphor trees. At maturity the trunk takes on an oak-like appearance. Insignificant flowers appear in spring followed by black drupes. Leaves produce a camphor scent when bruised. The sprawling form and attractive bark, combined with its lingering black drupes and glossy evergreen leaves, make this tree an excellent choice for winter interest in the landscape. The drupes provide food for birds and other wildlife especially when other natural food sources are spent. While it has some favorable traits, landscape designers and gardeners should also consider the drawbacks of a mature camphor tree. Some of these issues can be corrected with careful placement, but other problems may persist. This is a large tree reaching to 60 feet at full maturity with a large, wide crown to match. Dense foliage creates almost complete shade making it difficult for other plants to survive underneath. Camphor trees also send out large shallow roots that spread aggressively, and the roots can potentially damage infrastructure and crack pavement. The black drupes drop from the trees and can stain pavements, cars, and other property. Placing the camphor tree near streets, driveways and sidewalks should be carefully thought out before planting. These trees also have become invasive in some areas. The Camphor tree is toxic to people, cats, and dogs.
Light
The immense round canopy of the camphor tree enjoys full sun and will perform best when the entire canopy is given six hours of sunlight a day. It can tolerate partial shade, but growth and foliage will not reach full potential in these conditions.
Soil
Camphor trees can adapt to a wide range of soils but prefer to grow in fertile, sandy soil. Its pHlevel is broad and can range from acidic at 4.3 to very alkaline at 8.0.
Water
Keeping the soil around the camphor tree consistently moist soil is key for the tree to thrive. Give young trees 15-20 gallons per week for the first two years. Once established watering can be reduced provided the tree receives regular rain.
Temperature and Humidity
The camphor tree is native to warm hilly areas in Japan and China with high humidity. It grows best in areas in the United States with similar conditions in USDA hardiness zones 9 through 11.
Fertilizer
Unless the trees shows signs of deficiency, fertilizer is not necessary. Rule out other potential causes of problems and perform a soil test before adding supplemental fertilizer. If needed, a quality slow-release organic tree fertilizer can be applied in the spring according to the correct amounts recommended in the product’s directions.
Propagation
The camphor tree may be grown from seed planted in the spring or by semi-ripe cuttings in summer.
