Re: Cinnamomum camphora
- To: K*@aol.com, m*@ucdavis.edu, f*@ozemail.com.au
- Subject: Re: Cinnamomum camphora
- From: "* G* <s*@hotmail.com>
- Date: Wed, 25 Nov 1998 16:07:51 PST
>camphor laurel is a pretty heady, fragrant (flowers and foliage) tree
that
>survives well in its new urban environment.
Michael
by 'camphor laurel' do you mean Pittosporum undulatum??
If so you are right when you talk about the fragrance - just wonderful
(even though it is a serious environmental weed outside its localised
native areas). The problem is that not only does it have a dense canopy
that shades out indigenous seedlings growing - but it seems to exude
some kind of toxin from the roots that stops many plants growing near
it. I had heard about this 'toxic' effect from local naturalists long
before I experienced it myself and up until then had been slightly
skeptical.
In my garden I have removed about 20 specimens of various size (small
shrubs to medium trees) - but have left four to provide some shade and
height around one section. The only problem is that because of the
'toxin' only certain things will grow beneath them - I have had little
success with many roses, salvias, yuccas, hardenbergia ... but plants
such as clematis, delphiniums, geraniums, campanulas are fine!
Has anyone else heard about this or experienced something similar?
Susan George
McCrae, Victoria, Australia
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