Can You Keep the Size Small on a Camphor Tree?

Identification

• Camphor trees have naturally rounded, globular canopies, which form picturesque silhouettes on large landscapes. They are not very cold tolerant, growing best in U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 9b through 11. They grow moderately well along the coast, tolerate a range of soil types and prefer consistently moist soil. Sometimes they grow too well, invading both disturbed and natural areas. Though they are related to the trees whose bark is more commonly known as the culinary spice cinnamon, they are not the same.

Size

• Although some plants put up with heavy pruning, the camphor tree prefers light pruning to help maintain its proper form. It can grow as quickly as 24 inches in a single growing season and reaches heights of 65 feet with a potential canopy width of 50 to 70 feet, so pruning it heavily will most likely result in a poor, stunted-looking tree. Instead, give it plenty of room and allow its branches to develop normally.

Pruning Times

• The best time to prune is late winter, when the tree is still dormant. Try to time your pruning so that you perform it right before new growth begins. This ensures that cuts and wounds heal over quickly, which is desirable since these are a major source of infection for most trees and shrubs. As the tree grows larger, you should still prune during the dormant season but may not be able to manage it yourself. In that case, call a professional tree pruning service to come out and do it for you. If the tree is diseased or damaged, remove affected areas at any time.

Pruning Techniques

• The main reason to prune is to form a strong structure. Remove side trunks and lateral branches so that the tree grows into a single-trunked structure with lateral branches spaced evenly around the tree 18 to 30 inches apart. When you find disease, prune off branches several inches below the infection site. Never top a tree, or cut off the top of its main trunk, to keep it small. This can be dangerous for its health and rarely looks good.