Camphor trees (also known as cinnamon camphor tree) are very well known in China and Japan. We might not be as familiar with it, but the camphor tree is fascinating. Because of its invasive nature, some universities have categorized camphor trees as an invasive species.
However, if we take proper measures, we can prevent it from spreading(more to this later). Camphor trees originate from Eastern Asia, in countries like China, Taiwan, etc.
The Camphor tree has tons of benefits, from producing materials to making medicines. This article will discuss the camphor tree in great detail, which hopefully will educate you enough on this fantastic tree. We will start with How to Grow the Camphor Tree.
How To Grow The Camphor Tree
Camphor trees are one of the trickiest to grow and most challenging to take care of. But worry not, we will cover everything you need to know before growing your camphor tree. We will start with the steps to grow the tree itself, along with all the necessary care for the tree.
The best way to grow the camphor tree is through the camphor tree seed, but we need to germinate the seed first, although it's not completely necessary since you can buy a small camphor plant(more to that later).
How To Germinate The Seed
- Start by cleaning the seed thoroughly by removing any bits of pulp left on it.
- The second step is to soak the seed in water for about 48 hours.
- The third step is to take some Sphagnum moss and put it into a plastic bag. Take the seed out from the water and put it in the bag along with sphagnum moss. Now put the plastic bag in the fridge for 1-2 weeks. Keep in mind that it should be moist to touch in the fridge but not wet.
- The fourth and last step, take a container and put some soil in it. Take the seed out of the bag and bury it about 1 to 2 cm into the soil. Put the container at a place where it’s warm at around 20° C at least, with sunlight or shade. Make sure the soil is moist to touch but not wet and keep watering as needed, and in 2-3 months, you will see a sprout coming, which means the germination is complete.
Although you can germinate the seed yourself, we would recommend buying a small camphor plant. See, the germination process is long and tricky, but why go through all that when you can easily find a camphor tree for sale or rather a tiny plant, which you can plant in your garden.
And with this in the brain, let's move on to ‘how to plant a camphor tree’ (the process will be the same for germinated seeds and plants).
How To Plant a Camphor Tree
The process of planting the germinated seed or the plant is simple.
- Camphor trees can grow in dry loamy soil, but the best option is organically rich and acidic soil. If you have freezing weather in some months, you should arrange for a container to help you protect the tree from the weather by putting it somewhere warm.
- Now put your germinated seed into the soil out in the open or place the container which has your tree out in the sun. It takes about a year for the tree to grow a foot and a half from the seed but afterward, the growth process is fast, taking another year to reach the height of 2-3 feet.
Cautions Before Planting The Camphor Tree
Now to the worst part of this article. As I mentioned, the camphor tree growth rate is just mad, but with modern technology, we can solve that problem quite quickly. I’ve mentioned some steps briefly here but for the detailed guide keep reading to know more.
- The easiest, simplest, and the best way to prevent the spreading of camphor tree seeds is proper care. Regular cleaning and storing of fruit can significantly benefit you in attempting to avoid the spread of camphor trees.
- If it has already gotten out of hand, then you might consider hiring some professionals for the job. There are various ways in which they will help, the most common being mechanical and manual labor. This way, you can also sell a lot of wood and earn.
- Lastly, you can always use chemicals, but be extra careful with chemicals and do proper research according to your type of land. Or you can always ask professionals for advice for the best results.
These are some of the most common methods, but if you need a complete guide and understanding, consider reading this.
Uses Of Camphor Tree
All the things gathered from the camphor tree can be used in one way or another. But the most popular is the camphor itself; it is a white solid flammable substance cube.
It is considered sacred or holy in many religions, but we will be discussing its practical uses. Camphor can be used in varieties of ways, from making oil to producing medicines.
Medical Uses of Camphor
As we mentioned, camphor produces oil, and the oil has tons of benefits. From being used in a lot of balm rubs to straight-up cooking.
- The camphor oil does wonders with pain relief. It helps in reducing muscle aches with the use of direct camphor oil or products containing camphor oil.
- We all have the problem of getting headaches, but camphor oil can help with almost all sorts of headaches, even migraines.
- Rubs like Vicks VapoRub also contain camphor oil, which is excellent against cough. Adults or children can get cured easily with various uses from applying to your chest directly, or you can dissolve a bit of product in hot water and inhale the steam.
- A Mixture of camphor and coconut oil has shown to be amazingly cheap and plentiful against significant burns. It gets rid of many unnecessary treatments and side effects, as it's simple and one of the best cures for burns.
- According to a lot of scientific data, the use of camphor oil can also prevent severe life-threatening diseases.
Cosmetic Uses Of Camphor
For centuries, we have been using cosmetics containing camphor, so let’s see some of the famous cosmetic uses of camphor.
- The most common use of camphor in cosmetic products is its antifungal and antibacterial qualities. In hundreds of products, the benefits of these properties are as an anti-irritation or anti-itching. It is also said to help with wrinkles, but more research is needed on that.
- We see many people suffering from acne problems and using all sorts of different products to help with that. But products based on camphor are said to outperform many other products. Hence it makes up for an excellent anti-acne substance in products.
- Good traditional use of camphor, especially in India, is used to heal cracked heels. To do that, make a solution of water and camphor and soak your feet in there for some time. You can also apply a few petroleum jellies afterward for good and lasting effects.
- Another fantastic traditional way in India for the use of camphor is for hairs. To achieve the best results, put some camphor oil and two eggs to make a solution, apply it in your hair for some time(the longer, the better), and wash them up. It helps in strengthening roots, and in short, you get rid of hair loss.
- Another thing you can do with camphor is that you use the camphor oil mixed with either essential oil or any other oil like coconut oil, olive oil, etc., and apply it to your hairs. It helps to overcome the lice and improves hair growth significantly.
- Lastly, camphor seed kernel oil helps with weight loss. It is not 100% scientific, but some of the experiments done have shown that it helps in reducing body fat and helps you lose weight faster.
Other Uses Of Camphor Tree
We discussed the various ways that camphor is used in our medical field and cosmetics as well. But there are also a few more uses of camphor which we will discuss here in this section.
- A fully grown camphor tree, not surprisingly, is enormous, which in turn makes up for a perfect shade on a hot summer day. We have all had that day when the sun is just blazingly hot, but soothing winds under a tree are just what we want.
- Another use of camphor being huge is the wood that it gives. Camphor tree growth rate is crazy, as we have discussed earlier, so taking a bit of wood for fire or making some furniture is not such a bad idea.
- A bath is relaxing, fun, soothing, and healing, but you know what’s better? Adding a bit of camphor essential oil into the bath will give you some of the medical benefits mentioned above, like relieving muscle ache and a few more.
- The camphor tree berries are fondly consumed by many birds, which makes the tree very scenic, along with beautiful camphor tree flowers.
Conclusion
Camphor tree is no joke by any standards, from the complicated growing process and then to precautionary measures you need to take to prevent some of the dangers it can cause with its growth rate.
But at the exact moment, the number of benefits you get from this tree are also crazy, from its uses in the medical field to getting soaked into a camphor bath. Granted, this tree is not suitable for some of us, but at the same time, it is perfect for a lot of people.
So if you’re ready for the hard work that comes with it, then go right ahead and grow a camphor tree. As mentioned, the benefits far outweigh the harms.