The camphor tree, Cinnamomum camphora, is native to Asia. Plantation growers imported the tree to Florida in 1875, but it soon began displacing local trees. The Florida Exotic Pest Plant Council lists it as a Category I invasive species.
Identification
Cultivated camphor trees grow approximately 50 feet tall, but according to Floridata, wild camphor trees grow between 50 and 150 feet tall with a 100- to 300-foot spread. These broad-leaved evergreens have grayish-brown trunks and glossy, oval-shaped, greenish-yellow leaves. They produce small cream-colored blossoms during the spring, followed by reddish berries that turn black as they mature.
Habitat
Camphor trees occur in moist woodland forests and along stream banks in Korea, Japan and China and are naturalized in Australia. They are hardy in United States Department of Agriculture Hardiness Zones 8 through 10, which includes the warm climates of southern California and the Gulf Coast. According to Floridata, camphor trees suffer freeze burn and dieback from temperatures below 32 degrees Fahrenheit.
Considerations
Camphor trees prefer full sunlight or partial shade and nutrient-rich, sandy soil. Floridata indicates that camphor trees have some desirable traits; they require little water, they are storm-resistant and they do not burn easily. However, the website states that camphor is an aggressive and invasive species that should not be grown in the United States.
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