Camphor is a tall, many-branched evergreen tree with pointed, glossy leaves and clusters of small cream to yellow-green flowers followed by black berries.1 Camphor leaves release a strong fragrance when crushed.2 Native to Japan and tropical Southeast Asia,1 camphor now also grows in dry, disturbed areas in California and along the Gulf Coast of the U.S.,2 and is cultivated in India, Ceylon, Egypt, India, Madagascar, and southern Europe.3 Camphor essential oil is obtained by distillation from the wood.4
The sustainability of camphor is affected by harvesting procedures. In Japan, the root, trunk, and branches of the tree are all used, whereas in the US, only the leaves and twigs of the oldest trees are used, thereby causing less injury to the tree.5 Fortunately, many trees are found growing wild due to birds that spread the seeds from cultivated yards to open forests.2
Cinnamomum camphora (commonly known as Camphor tree, Camphorwood or camphor laurel) is a large evergreen tree that grows up to 20–30 metres tall. The leaves have a glossy, waxy appearance and smell of camphor when crushed. In spring it produces bright green foliage with masses of small white flowers. It produces clusters of black berry-like fruit around one centimetre in diameter. It has a pale bark that is very rough and fissured vertically.
It has been declared a noxious weed in many parts of Queensland and New South Wales.[3] Its massive and spreading root systems disrupt urban drainage and sewerage systems and degrade river banks. Its leaves have a very high carbon content, which damages water quality and freshwater fish habitats when they fall into streams and rivers. The camphor content of the leaf litter helps prevent other plants from germinating successfully, helping to ensure the camphor's success against any potentially competing vegetation, and the seeds are attractive to birds and pass intact through the digestive system, ensuring rapid distribution. Camphor laurel invades rainforests and pastures, and also competes against eucalyptus trees which are the sole food source of koalas, which are endangered in many parts of eastern Australia.
