Cinnamomum camphora Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALS
Camphor Tree

Cinnamomum camphora

£39.99
Protect from hard frostSun-lovingEvergreen
Pot size
17cm / 2L £39.99

FREE tracked delivery on orders over £60

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Description

Cinnamomum camphora, the camphor tree, is one of the great aromatic evergreens of east Asia: crush a glossy, three-veined leaf and the clean medicinal scent of natural camphor lifts off your fingers. In the garden it earns its place by eye as much as nose, with new growth flushing pink-bronze over bright green so the whole canopy shimmers through spring and summer.

A laurel relative from China, Taiwan and Japan, it grows in the UK as a distinguished large shrub or small tree for a sheltered spot. Rated H3, established plants take around -5C, and a warm wall or courtyard suits it perfectly; young plants appreciate fleece for their first winters.

How and where to grow

  • Position: full sun to light shade, sheltered from cold winds.
  • Soil: fertile, moist but well-drained, acid to neutral.
  • Size: steadily to 4-6 m here over decades; prunes well.
  • Hardiness: H3; protect young plants in winter.

Give it room to become a canopy over an exotic border, or grow it for years as a clipped container specimen by a doorway among our plants for pots, where every passer-by brushes out its scent. It belongs with the aromatic and architectural end of our hardy exotics collection, alongside the loquat for a warm-wall partnership.

Nursery-grown plants with clean, healthy foliage. See our seasonal expectations guide for winter care.

Live Arrival Guarantee

All plants are covered by our 7-day live arrival guarantee. We pack every order in protective, sustainable packaging designed to keep your plants safe in transit, and every plant is checked before it ships. On the rare occasion something is not right on arrival, we will make it good, provided the plant is still in its original nursery pot.

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What to Expect

Seasonal by nature: what to expect

  • Grown outdoors, the way nature intended. Weather-tested and hardened in real UK conditions, so they thrive in your garden. A few marks on the older leaves are normal, the sign of a tough, real plant rather than a flaw.
  • It follows the seasons. Depending on when you order, your plant may arrive cut back, dormant or leafless. That's healthy: dormancy is the ideal time to plant.
  • Posted, not posed. Big leafy plants like bananas and gingers may be trimmed or gently folded to travel safely. It does the plant no harm, and it powers away again in spring.

Not sure what to expect from yours? Dormant, cut-back or weather-marked plants are all perfectly healthy and normal. Read what to expect through the seasons

Delivery & returns

Order by 1pm Monday to Friday for same day dispatch. Every plant travels in protective, plant-safe packaging with tracked delivery.

Changed your mind? See our Return Policy.

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How to care for Camphor Tree

Plant me in full sun and protect me when hard frost threatens.

In their words

What our customers say

Arrived just like the photos - maybe even fuller. Healthy, well-acclimated, and straight into my collection with no issues.

Emily P.

Flawless leaves, stunning variegation, and clearly cared for by experts. It’s already a talking point in my home office.

James R.

Hard to find rare plants that are pet-safe. Ours arrived in perfect condition and looks amazing without any worry.

Sophie L.
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About Camphor Tree

Cinnamomum camphora needs full sun or partial shade and moist but well-drained soil. It is half-hardy to around −5°C and needs protection from hard frost.

Good for

Architectural Exotic Borders Pots & Containers

Hardiness

TenderVery hardy

Semi-Hardy (H3): down to around −5°C. Half-hardy; reliable in mild or coastal gardens, protect in colder areas.

Rated H3: established plants take around -5C, and mature wood tolerates more. Grow it against a warm wall or in a sheltered courtyard in most areas, or in a pot moved under cover for hard frosts. Young plants need their first winters protected. Read moreShow less

Rated H3: established plants take around -5C, and mature wood tolerates more. Grow it against a warm wall or in a sheltered courtyard in most areas, or in a pot moved under cover for hard frosts. Young plants need their first winters protected.

Position

Full sunPartial shadeSouth-facingWest-facingSheltered
Full sun to light shade, sheltered from cold, drying winds. Read moreShow less

Full sun to light shade, sheltered from cold, drying winds.

Soil

LoamSandClayMoist but well-drainedAcid pHNeutral pH
Fertile, moist but well-drained, acid to neutral soil. Read moreShow less

Fertile, moist but well-drained, acid to neutral soil.

Watering

Water regularly for the first two summers, then in dry spells. Mulch in spring. Read moreShow less

Water regularly for the first two summers, then in dry spells. Mulch in spring.

Mature size

Height4-6 m (UK)
Spread3-4 m

Reaches full size in 20-50 years

Growth habit

Bushy

Flowering

May-Jun

Seasonal colour

Foliage

Evergreen

Pruning

Minimal pruning. Shape or reduce in late spring once frosts pass; it regrows readily from older wood.

Toxicity

Foliage and camphor oils are toxic if eaten in quantity by pets or people; enjoy the scent, do not ingest.

Native range

China, Taiwan, Japan

Family

Lauraceae

Also known as

Cinnamomum camphora

Genus

Cinnamomum
Good to know

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the camphor tree?

Cinnamomum camphora is the source of natural camphor: a handsome evergreen laurel relative from China and Japan whose glossy, three-veined leaves release the unmistakable camphor scent when crushed. New growth flushes pink-bronze before ripening to bright green, so the canopy constantly shifts colour.

Is the camphor tree hardy in the UK?

It is an H3 plant: fine to around -5C once established, and best given a warm wall, courtyard or coastal garden. Young plants are the most tender, so fleece them for their first winters or grow in a pot moved under cover. Our seasonal expectations guide gives the honest picture.

How big does a camphor tree get here?

In the subtropics it is a giant, but UK conditions keep it to a large shrub or small tree of 4 to 6 m over decades, and it responds well to pruning if you want it smaller. Growth is steady rather than rampant here.

Do the leaves really smell of camphor?

Crush one and the clean, medicinal camphor scent is instant and unmistakable. It is one of the great sensory plants for a doorway or path edge, where you brush past it daily. Note the foliage should not be eaten by pets or people.

How do I care for Cinnamomum camphora?

Sun, shelter, decent drainage and patience. Water it through its first two summers, mulch in spring, and protect young plants in winter. It makes a distinguished companion to our other hardy exotics and exotic border plants.

Is camphor safe for pets?

The foliage and camphor oils are toxic if eaten in quantity, so site it away from determined chewers and keep prunings out of reach. As a garden or patio tree brushed in passing it poses no problem.

Does my plant come with a pot?
Your plant will arrive in its nursery grow pot — the plastic pot it's been growing in. We don't include a decorative pot as standard, and there's a good reason for that: it means you get to choose one that fits your space and style, rather than being stuck with something that doesn't suit your home.

It also means you're not paying extra for a pot you might not want. The nursery pot is perfectly fine to keep your plant in for a while, just pop it inside a decorative cover pot or cache pot and you're good to go. When you're ready to repot (usually after a growing season or when roots start poking out the bottom), you can move it into something more permanent with fresh soil.

If you're not sure what size cover pot to go for, check the pot selector tool listed above, you'll want a decorative pot that's a centimetre or two wider than that to give it a comfortable fit.
How big will my plant be when it arrives?
Every plant on our site includes the pot size (e.g. 12cm) and, where possible, an approximate height. That's the most reliable way to set your expectations, photos can sometimes make a plant look larger or smaller than it really is.

If you're thinking "that sounds quite small for the price," here's something worth knowing: younger, smaller plants almost always adapt better to your home than larger ones. They adjust faster to your light and humidity, put out new growth more quickly, and tend to establish stronger root systems long-term. A plant that grows into your space will usually outperform one that was already big when it arrived.

That said, every plant is an individual. The one you receive may vary slightly in height, shape, or fullness compared to the photo, that's the nature of living things, not a quality issue. We select healthy, well-established specimens, and if you ever feel your plant doesn't match what you were expecting, just get in touch and we'll take a look.
What makes your plants different from the supermarket or garden centre?
There's a big difference between a plant that's been sitting under on a retail shelf and one that's been looked after and cared for by people who specialise in exactly this.

Our plants are grown in house or sourced from specialist nurseries, many of them varieties you simply won't find at your local garden centre or supermarket. Before anything leaves us, it's checked over by our horticultural team to make sure it's healthy, well-rooted, and ready to thrive in your home. We're not shifting volume off a pallet, we're choosing plants we'd want to keep ourselves.

When you buy from a supermarket, you get a plant and a generic care label. When you buy from us, you get the knowledge that comes with it, detailed care guidance, a team you can actually contact if something isn't going right, and the confidence that what's arriving has been looked after properly from the moment it was grown to the moment it reaches your door.

We're a specialist nursery first, not a retailer that happens to sell plants. That's the difference, and you'll see it the moment you open the box.
What should I do when my plant arrives?
First things first, unbox it as soon as you can. Plants don't love being in dark boxes any more than you would, and the sooner yours is out and breathing, the better.

Remove all the packaging carefully, give the soil a check with your finger, and water lightly if it feels dry. Then find it a spot with appropriate light, but avoid putting it straight into harsh direct sun or next to a radiator. Think of it like arriving somewhere new after a long journey: it needs a moment to adjust.

It's completely normal for your plant to look a little tired or droopy after transit. This is called transit stress, and most plants bounce back within a week or two. You might see a yellow leaf or some drooping, don't panic, and resist the urge to overwater or start repotting straight away.

Our advice for the first couple of weeks: leave it in its nursery pot, water it only when the top layer of soil feels dry, and let it acclimatise to your home's light, temperature, and humidity. Once it's settled in and showing signs of new growth, you can think about repotting or moving it to its permanent spot.

Every plant we sell comes with a care guide on the product page so you'll know exactly what it needs going forward. And if anything doesn't look right, get in touch with our team, we're always happy to help.
Will my plant survive being shipped?
Yes! and we go to serious lengths to make sure of it. Every plant is hand-packed by our team with protective wrapping and secure, custom-designed boxes to keep it stable and safe in transit. We've shipped hundreds of thousands of plants across the UK and our packaging methods have been refined over years to handle the bumps and jolts of delivery.

During colder months, we monitor weather forecasts and offer heat packs where needed to protect against frost. In extreme conditions, we may hold your order for a day or two rather than risk sending it out, we'd rather you wait an extra day than receive a stressed plant.

That said, plants are living things, and the occasional transit wobble can happen. If your plant arrives damaged or isn't in the condition you'd expect, just get in touch within 48 hours with a photo, and we'll make it right, whether that's a replacement or a full refund. No fuss.

The short version: we treat every box like it's going to someone who really cares about what's inside, because it is.
Why Grow Tropicals

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Packaged with Care

Packaged with Care

Every order is hand-packed in eco-friendly, protective packaging - refined through thousands of deliveries to ensure your plant arrives healthy, hydrated, and looking its best.

Backed by our Live Arrival Guarantee.

Perfect for Gifting

Perfect for Gifting

From rare collector’s pieces to easy-care favourites, our plants arrive fully potted and ready to enjoy. Add a personalised note at checkout for a thoughtful finishing touch.

Delivered fresh, beautiful, and gift-ready.

Sustainability at Heart

Sustainability at Heart

All plants are ethically sourced from trusted growers, never wild-collected. Every order ships carbon-neutral in minimal-waste packaging.

Good for your home - and the planet.

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Cinnamomum camphora
£39.99