Is this a camphor tree?

[Walt]

Based on the series of photos below, can anyone tell me if this is a camphor tree? I've been growing a small one for almost seven years and it's a slow grower for me. Based on the slow growth of my tree, mine will never see the size of this one in photos below (if in fact it's a camphor tree) in my lifetime.

[SubTropicRay]

It looks like one Walt. Have any photos of the trunk? That's the real giveway.

Are those Sandhill Cranes in the foreground?

[Walt]

It looks like one Walt. Have any photos of the trunk? That's the real giveway.

Are those Sandhill Cranes in the foreground?

Yes, Ray, they are sandhill cranes. No, I don't have trunk photos as I didn't want to trespass on private property. I shot these photos from my truck using my zoom. I googled and know what you mean about the trunk/bark.

[fastfeat]

Walt--

Your tree is Toog/Bishopwood, Bischofia javanica. Used to be planted a lot in SoFla, but it is now restricted due to the heavy seeding of female trees. A solo tree in your area shouldn't present any problems though. One of the stronger trees in hurricanes as well.

[Walt]

Walt--

Your tree is Toog/Bishopwood, Bischofia javanica. Used to be planted a lot in SoFla, but it is now restricted due to the heavy seeding of female trees. A solo tree in your area shouldn't present any problems though. One of the stronger trees in hurricanes as well.

Thanks for that I.D., fastfeat. I thought the tree looked a little different than a camphor tree, that's why I posted the photo. This tree is planted lakeside (s.e. end of lake), thus enjoys a zone 10 climate, whereas the rest of the area around here is zone 9b. I find many south Florida palms and trees, shrubs, etc., growing in close around the lakes.

[SubTropicRay]

I pulled up some Bischofia javanica info up online for some more detailed photos. There are a few in my area here and there.

[Walt]

I pulled up some Bischofia javanica info up online for some more detailed photos. There are a few in my area here and there.

About five years ago a person who moved up here from Homestead,whose husband drove a county school bus told me he say a large Bishofia tree growing by lake Francis, here close to Lake Placid (town). He was surprised to find one this far north and inland, mainly. I didn't even know what they looked like, and still didn't until my posting here.

I know the road that the bishovia tree is supposedly growing along and will now look for it since I know what the tree looks like.

[SubTropicRay]

Finally, a non native shade tree that can withstand high winds.

[fastfeat]

These will take light frost (maybe 29-30F) without damage. They are hardy enough to grow in milder areas of SoCal as well. Undoubtedly, proximity to bodies of water have helped this tree make it through some winters.

There is a good-sized tree at Leu Gardens (Orlando) that froze to the ground during one cold Winter ('89?), but it came back from the roots.

[Eric in Orlando]

We have 2 big Bischofia javanica here. Both were big trees and froze to the ground after the 12/89 freeze. Both came back and are about 40ft tall. They have tolerated upper 20sF no problem. Ours seed but only a few seedlings come up. They haven't become invasive like in SoFL. And they did hold up well through the 3 hurricanes of 2004, they only lost leaves.. In fact the Bischofia and Camphor were 2 of the best trees in those storms. Camphors are very invasive and greedy. The seedlings come up everywhere and are very resistant to herbicides. They fruit 2-3x a year and the birds spread them everywhere. Also, Camphors are very greedy and suck a lot of water and nutrients from the area. They also raise the pH levels. We have tested pH under some old camphors and it was 8-9. They are also allelopathic and it can be hard to grow things under mature Camphors. We have removed all of them except for a historic allee of them. The other tree that held up well in the hurricanes and was the best performer was Nageia nagi (formerly Podocarpus). It did not even lose leaves.

Bischofia javanica- Toog Tree

Cinnamomum camphora- Camphor Tree

the first photo is the allee of them. They line what used to be the original drive onto the property and were planted in the 1890's. The 2nd photo is one that is even larger. It grows at site of the original cabin was when the property was settled in the 1860's. It was probably planted in the 1870's or 80's.

and Nageia nagi, the tree that showed the most wind resistance after the 3 storms in 2004

[Walt]

Those ancient camphor trees at Leu are very impressive. I understand the Australian pine trees have a similar effect, i.e., other plants won't grow beneath them. That's what I once read, anyway.

[Walt]

I discovered several more Bishovfia trees today at a 4H camp here in Lake Placid. The camp is located on the S.E. shore of lake Francis (539 acres). As such, the USDA zone rating is solidly in zone 10.

In the photo below are four trees, with Bishovfia on each end with Ficus microcarpa in the middle:

Close to lake side is a huge Hibiscus tiliaceus (with the buildig for scale):

There's some kind of evergreen tree farther along the lake, but I had to use zoom to photo it. Today is very overcast and vaporous, so the photo isn't very clear:

Here's a closer (more zoomed) view of the evergreen tree:

[fastfeat]

Walt--

Pretty hard to tell on that last one. Maybe Ficus microcarpa 'Nitida'?

[Eric in Orlando]

Those ancient camphor trees at Leu are very impressive. I understand the Australian pine trees have a similar effect, i.e., other plants won't grow beneath them. That's what I once read, anyway.

Yes, AP and Brazilian Pepper have a similar effect. Many trees in the Walnut Family, Juglandaceae, are famous for this, trees such as walnuts, hickories, and pecan.

When I go to SoFL, a lot of times the only thing growing under AP is Brazilian Pepper.

[Eric in Orlando]

Walt--

Pretty hard to tell on that last one. Maybe Ficus microcarpa 'Nitida'?

Looks like F. microcarpa to me, too.

[Walt]

Fastfeat and Eric: F. microcarpa makes sense as there's many of them (like the smaller ones in my photo) planted on the property. One day I must venture further onto the property in the direction of the tree in question. I saw some nice sized royal palms past that tree. There's also lots of lychee trees there too. I would like to find out if there' s anything else of an exotic nature there and who planted them all, like that large Hibiscus tiliaceus.

[Walt]

This Livistona decora palm was also at the 4H camp. This is the only (besides the four I'm growing) Livistona decora palm I've found growing in all of Highlands County.

[DoomsDave]

This is a camphor tree, Cinnamonium, from Wikipedia's website:

Note the bark.