- Camphor tree, or Cinnamomum camphor, is a member of the Lauraceae family. These large trees often reach up to 70 feet high and have spreads of 50 to 70 feet. Camphor trees grow quickly and thrive in full sun or partial shade. Although camphor trees are lovely, they produce berries that stain driveways and cars. A variety of wildlife are attracted to these berries, and birds carry seeds to other locations where they may begin to grow. Camphor trees can become invasive, notes the University of Florida, making them a less than ideal choice in certain locations.
- Although camphor trees are considered resistant to many damaging diseases, they prove susceptible to root rot, which is most common in trees growing in poorly draining soil. Armillaria spp. fungi causes root rot in camphor trees and other woody ornamentals. The fungus lives for many years in the soil. Other names for this disease are shoestring root rot, Armillaria root rot and honey mushroom. This root rot disease, often difficult to discern from other diseases in its early stages, features honey-colored mushrooms growing around the tree's base.
- Camphor trees with Armillaria root rot develop decayed bark. Peeling bark back reveals dark strands of fungi known as rhizomorphs. White fans of fungi are often visible just beneath the bark. The roots of infected camphor trees decay, becoming brown and mushy. Once infected, camphor trees begin to decline; they produce fewer branches and twigs, and trunk sprouts increase. Eventually, trees with Armillaria root rot die.
- Trees infected with Armillaria root rot cannot be saved, according to the University of Kentucky. No fungicides exist to control the disease. Because prevention is the only solution, it is important to remove any infected trees before they become unstable. Keeping camphor trees healthy and free from drought stress is the key to preventing root rot diseases.
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