Mzansi’s love for camphor is real. Camphor is the go-to remedy for sniffles and tummy aches, a household hero you can grab at any market or pharmacy.
But here’s the fun twist: while we’re all about using camphor in blocks, oils, and ointments, planting a camphor tree is a big no-no. Yup, it’s illegal! So, enjoy the benefits and love the smell, but keep this romance out of your garden. Don’t let camphor turn into your green thumb gone wrong!
Passed through generations
Camphor helps with bronchitis, asthma, coughs, sinus headaches, and congestion, according to Shirley Gounden, a trained and certified Reiki master based in Midrand, Gauteng.
Gounden says the knowledge of herbs has been passed down through generations.
“I light a block of camphor during morning prayers, invoking and channelling the energies of the Divine. This process cleanses, purifies, and clears the space of all negative energies,” she explains.
She uses camphor bags to ease the respiratory passages of those suffering from flu and coughs. Camphor is also added to mustard oil, heated, and then applied to the chest, with a betel leaf placed over it and wrapped with a flannel bandage for patients experiencing high fevers, Gounden explains.
“Camphor is flammable. Precautions must be taken when burning it to avoid a fire,” she warns.
Additionally, she shares a common remedy: adding a block of camphor to boiling water for inhalation to help with phlegm and mucus caused by severe flu and chest infections. This method breaks down the phlegm and mucus and relieves respiratory issues.
Another remedy involves squeezing the leaves of the camphor plant, adding honey, and using this mixture for coughs.
A healing herb with hidden dangers
Sibongile Jiyane, a plant pathologist from Tshwane in Gauteng, says it is well-known that camphor has a very distinct smell and helps with symptoms like pain and itching by stimulating neurons.
She explains that camphor seems to produce a cooling effect on the nose, which facilitates easier breathing.
“Products like Vicks VapoRub include it. For pain, itching, and coughing, people use camphor. Insect bites, acne, and numerous other ailments are also treated with it.”
Sibongile Jiyane
She says breathing in the fumes of camphor opens the airways in the lungs and makes breathing easier, a process known as bronchodilation.
“This is especially helpful for those who are having trouble breathing and feeling stuffy due to a cold.”
Jiyane adds that the respiratory system benefits from camphor inhalation preparations. Borneol camphor solution comes in various forms, including sprays, inhalation solutions, and scent stickers. However, she warns that camphor can be dangerous if consumed orally.
While it may be safe to inhale camphor vapour or apply it topically to the chest, excessive inhalation is potentially hazardous. Inhaling large amounts of camphor can cause harmful effects.
“Death is one of the serious negative effects of camphor consumption,” Jiyane explains.
She advises storing camphor in a tightly closed container in a cool place, away from heat sources and flames.
Invasive risks and conservation laws
Lungisani Zondi, a senior horticulturist from the South African National Biodiversity Institute (SANBI) in Roodepoort, Gauteng, says camphor trees are invasive plants.
“Invasive alien plants cost South Africans billions of rand annually in lost agricultural productivity and resources spent on management.”
Lungisani Zondi
Camphor trees, which originate from East Asia, are considered exotic trees. In South Africa, they fall into the invasive plant category – Category 1 – meaning they should be removed and not planted.
He explains that invasive alien plants pose a significant threat to biodiversity, human livelihoods, and economic development.
“In KwaZulu-Natal, Limpopo, Mpumalanga, and the Eastern Cape, camphor trees are classified as Category 1. In the Western Cape, they are classified as Category 3, meaning you can keep existing plants but are not allowed to propagate or plant new ones if the current ones die.”
He adds that these regulations are why camphor trees are not propagated in Mzansi by law. However, there are botanical gardens in KwaZulu-Natal and Kirstenbosch in the Western Cape where camphor trees are preserved as national heritage or national monument trees.
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“By law, you are not allowed to cut or remove them, and the camphor tree is one of those protected species.”
Invasive plants tend to grow much faster and compete with our indigenous plants, explains Zondi.
He notes, “The fact that they don’t have natural predators means they tend to outcompete our indigenous plants for water and land, often covering everything.
“These trees affect the pH of the soil, making it very difficult to grow other plants in that soil. They also impact other animals that rely on water.”
Lungisani Zondi
Zondi further explains that some invasive plants can make fires harder to contain and their seeds disperse rapidly. “In South Africa, by law, these plants need to be removed.”
He emphasises that there are native plants that can substitute for these invasive species. These alternatives are environmentally friendly and offer greater benefits, even though they may grow more slowly.
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