Camphor tree

Around the turn of the 20th century Taiwan was a world power in camphor, extracted from these mighty trees.

An evergreen tree of the laurel family (formerly placed in the genus Cinnamomum), growing to 30 m or more, with a broad, dense crown and a thick, furrowed trunk. Its glossy, ovate leaves have three prominent veins and give off a distinctive smell of camphor when crushed. Small greenish-white flowers appear in spring, and round black fruits ripen in autumn. Camphor and camphor oil are distilled from the wood and leaves; the wood repels insects, so it was used to make chests.

Significance in the country

Camphor was one of Taiwan’s main exports – in the Japanese era the island met most of the world’s demand, and the expansion of logging into the mountains sparked conflicts with Indigenous peoples; ancient camphor trees are revered beside temples today.

Where it grows

In the lowlands and foothills of the whole main island up to about 1,800 m; the most famous historical centres of camphor production lay in the mountains of Miaoli, Hsinchu and Nantou.

More: Wikipedia (en) Wikipedia (pl)