Camphor laurel yields a beautiful, rich honey-coloured timber with a clean, fresh camphor smell that is perfect for furniture, carving and cabinetry.

Location

The tree is native to Taiwan, southern Japan, and southeast China, where it has great cultural significance as a source of scent, oil and crystallised blocks for use in religious ceremonies and for medicinal purpose. It was introduced to Australia in 1822 as a garden ornamental. Since then, feral populations have established from the Atherton Tableland in north Queensland to Victoria. Camphor laurel is common in South East Queensland.

Wood appearance

A beautiful, often honey coloured timber, camphor laurel heartwood varies widely in colour from pale to mid brown and is often streaked with darker brown or red. The sapwood has many colours ranging from almost white to dark browns and reds. The timber’s grain can be straight, interlocked and/or wavy. Uniform medium texture with a high natural lustre and a slight greasy feel.

Use

Commonly used for turning and slab type furniture, camphor laurel is often employed in fine furniture design. It is recommended for use as kitchen bench tops, tables and shelves, as well as internal lining boards and turned or hand-carved bowls.

All camphor laurel wood features a characteristic camphor smell that repels moths and other insects, making it perfect for clothes storage cabinets. Camphor also has antibacterial properties prized for use in crafting handsome chopping and carving boards.