600538411 Posted June 8, 2005 Does anyone know of any specific general locations where someone could find the Cinnamomum camphora tree? I live in northern NSW and according the the Shaman-Australis website this species is in abundance and is considered a noxious tree... SWIK would much like to get their hands on some of this plant material as camphor can be quite a useful thing to have lying around... Any help would be greatly appreciated.. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Rock n Liam Posted June 8, 2005 Sorry, double post, could this be deleted? [ 08. June 2005, 22:47: Message edited by: Rock n Liam ] Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Rock n Liam Posted June 8, 2005 Not a native from what i know, but i PM'd you anyway. I have one of these, and the roots keep stuffing up my compost bins, and they grow so fast. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
600538411 Posted June 9, 2005 SWIK lives in a stones throw of SAB nursery themselves and wonders if they went to the nursery whether they would have a some round so SWIK knew what to look for... SWIK has read that it is pretty much everywhere in northern NSW (SWIKs area) so they just figured it would be a breeze to find... Might have to look at some pics and go for a yonder round the bushlands lol... Thanks for help so far guys... Much appreciated Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
2b Posted June 9, 2005 quote: SWIK lives in a stones throw of SAB nursery SAB got a nursery in Zimbabwe ? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
apothecary Posted June 9, 2005 Print it out and go hunting Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Torsten Posted June 9, 2005 well, 80% of our tree cover is camphor laurel, so yeah, plenty around here. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Torsten Posted June 9, 2005 in fact, walk up to any tree lining the country roads and crush the leaves. If it smells of Vicks then you have a laurel. [ 09. June 2005, 11:50: Message edited by: Torsten ] Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
planthelper Posted June 9, 2005 btw i strongly disagree with this campain called "laurel bloody laurel" which call's for the eratication of this tree, they don't know what they are doing... laurel stopped the erotion caused by clearfelling. laurel is a super timber. laurel is a super shade tree. laurel is drought resistant. laurel seed's don't kill birds. laurel contains precious oils. i love laurel, as long as they are not in my garden, lol. but for big gardens and parks they are a ok!!! wau i never seen this forum sooooo busy. [ 09. June 2005, 13:01: Message edited by: planthelper ] Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ergoamide Posted June 9, 2005 this tree groes in every street in my town, it covers my school and just recently it fruited so the berries r all ova the street believe me its easy to find if u cant find it you dont know wot ur lookin for its a noxious weed 4 a reason its everywhere but a great plant Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Torsten Posted June 9, 2005 ph - laurels do kill birds and they do also drive out other vegetation. they are also too long lived to be good nurse trees for new rainforest. However, laurels grow mostly on farm land anyway and do not encroach on rainforest, so I don't have a problem with them. I would like to see them gone, but not for the simple sake of getting rid of them. Rather I'd like to see them replaced with rainforest or other natives. The guy who runs the camphor bloody laurel campaign is a nutter. I guess you have to be to go round graffitiing roadsigns all over the shire and expect people to support you. He's also not much of a scientist, but thinks he is. He has some fundamental weaknesses in the interpretations of his analysis data that make him look ridiculous. The basis of his claim is that safrole is toxic and carcinogenic. We have shown on these forums that the carcinogenic effect is far from proven and its assumption is actually quite unscientific. His scare campaign is along the lines that kids plaing near laurels will develop cancer and hence they must be cut down. That might work for channel10 news, but leaves most people around here cold. I wonder whether he ever looked at the cancer rates in places where Sassafras albidum or Cinnamomum parthenoxylum grow and are used as food or building material? And what about the use of Piper auritum in cooking in the tropics. Beware the local fruit loops is all I have to say Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Benzito Posted June 10, 2005 Gee, Torsten, do you guys get weirdo's around the Byron Shire? I never would have picked it! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Prophet Posted June 10, 2005 Camphor laurels are nice trees, even if they are a pest. At least they stop lantana growing and outcompete other weeds, and i love the smell of them. Also the white breasted fruit pigeons love the fruits and spread them all over the place. There are lots of them here in South East Queensland as well. They also make good fire wood (smells really nice). They usually grow in disturbed areas along creeks, such as on farmland and also on hillsides that have been cleared in the past. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Torsten Posted June 10, 2005 actually, they make SHIT firewood. it's all we use and it is by far the sootiest and smokiest wood to burn. And we have to get up every 3 hours to restoke the fireplace co it burns so fast. but yeah, if you've got nothing else then it will do. The woodchips make excellent mulch though. and far from being toxic, it usually teems with worms and bugs after about 6 months. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Prophet Posted June 11, 2005 quote: ph - laurels do kill birds and they do also drive out other vegetation They do displace other vegetation but I'm not sure about killing birds. Fruit Pigeons eat the fruits and spread them and my chickens don't appear to be dropping dead and I have seen them eating the fruits from trees near our house. Maybe some birds cannot tolerate them. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
caludia Posted June 11, 2005 Cinnamomum oliveri is one that interests me. A dinkum native too Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Torsten Posted June 11, 2005 Prophet - the death of birds has been documented in the Lismore shire. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Rev Posted June 13, 2005 here we have 2 correct realities ill interject that while camphor seems to have been demonstrated to kill some native bird species or result in lowered fertility that it obvioulsy isnt a deterrant to others - or there wouldnt be so many bloody camphor laurels would there id say its skewing the bird population by acting as a heavy selection agent - which throws out the future of the rainforest with it quote: The woodchips make excellent mulch though. and far from being toxic, it usually teems with worms and bugs after about 6 months. hell yeah. camphor laurel chips support ample fungal growth. ive grown oysters and reishi on camphor logs. no trace of camphor in the mushies. i alos did it on chips and the pungent smell of the pasteurised chips was replaced completely by the anise fungal tones of pleurotus within 2 weeks Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Rev Posted June 13, 2005 here we have 2 correct realities ill interject that while camphor seems to have been demonstrated to kill some native bird species or result in lowered fertility that it obvioulsy isnt a deterrant to others - or there wouldnt be so many bloody camphor laurels would there id say its skewing the bird population by acting as a heavy selection agent - which throws out the future of the rainforest with it quote: The woodchips make excellent mulch though. and far from being toxic, it usually teems with worms and bugs after about 6 months. hell yeah. camphor laurel chips support ample fungal growth. ive grown oysters and reishi on camphor logs. no trace of camphor in the mushies. i alos did it on chips and the pungent smell of the pasteurised chips was replaced completely by the anise fungal tones of pleurotus within 2 weeks Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
gusto Posted June 13, 2005 2b: quote: SWIK lives in a stones throw of SAB nursery SAB got a nursery in Zimbabwe ? No, but those Zimbabwe guys are known to have a helluva throwing arm. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
