Aromatic and Medicinal Trees

Here is another one of my charts- this time for growing aromatic and medicinal trees.

Name	Zone		Light preference	Soil preference	Water Preference	Plant width/height	Special considerations
Camphor		9-11, some sources claim 8 also.	Full sun to partial shade	Well drained, tolerant. 5.5-8	Drought tolerant. Water deeply but infrequently if soil dries out.	50-70’, 40-50’	Try to plant seeds as soon as possible after removing from the fruit, to have greater chances of viability, and soak seeds in warm water 24 hours before planting to encourage sprouting.    Be careful where planting as the camphor can inhibit germination of plants surrounding it.
Eucalyptus Globulus		7-11	Full sun, some varieties tolerate partial shade.	Tolerant, prefers well drained moderately fertile loam to sandy loam. 5.5-6.4	Water as needed, enough to keep the soil from drying out.	49’ ,150-180’ (blue gum) Other varieties vary in width and height.	In their natural habitat, Eucalyptus trees benefit from regular natural forest fires, which burn their dead leaves and help return nutrients to the soil.
Gingko Biloba		4-9	Full sun to partial shade	Well drained, tolerant. Sandy loam is best. 5-5.5	Low water needs drought tolerant.	15-30’, 30’+	Interesting bark and colorful fall foliage. Yellow flowers bloom in the spring.      Stratification Research suggests that 2 months of exposure to cold temperatures can improve ginkgo seed germination.    Scarification. To improve germination rate, chip the seeds with a sharp knife or rub against abrasive material to crack or weaken the seed coat. Then soak the seeds in water 24 hours before planting.
Moringa		9-11	Full sun	Well drained, sandy soil. 5-8	Drought tolerant. Water as needed if soil becomes dry for several days.	15’, 20-36’	A very useful tree, edible leaves, seeds, roots. Seeds can be used to purify water.
Neem		9-11	Full sun	Moderately fertile loam. Tolerates poorer soil types, as long as they drain well. 6.2-7	Water moderately if soil becomes dry. Drought tolerant once established.	40-50’, 50-65’	Neem is a very useful tree, used in many preparations from insect repellant to toothpaste.
Sandalwood		9-11	Full sun	Moderately fertile, well draining sandy loam or loam. 6-8	Keep seedlings moderately moist, drought tolerant once established.	20’+,40-50’	Sandalwood is root hemiparasitic, which means it needs another plant nearby to provide nitrogen to its roots.    Pink silk tree, cassia (Chinese cinnamon), Erythrina, Erythroxylon (where coca leaves used to make cocaine come from), cotton plant, pongamia, Nux Vomica (strychnine tree), teak tree, Indian tulip tree(thespesia populnea), Chaste tree (agnus castus/vitex), acacia. are all types of plants listed as suitable partners for Sandalwood.
Witch Hazel		3-9	Part shade to full sun.	Well draining, with plenty of organic matter. 4.5-6.5	Water moderately enough to keep soil from drying out for the first year- rainfall should suffice after that.	15’, 30’	Only prune during the winter months when the plant is dormant. Witch hazel seeds tend to need periods of cold then warm temperatures to gerrminate. You can look up how to simulate temperature changes for sprouting witch hazel on the net for more details.

Continuation

Name	Propagation	Sowing Season	Germination rate/Time	Time to Maturity	Native Origin
Camphor	Seeds.	September-November	1-6 months	Harvest leaves in late March to May.	The Orient.
Eucalyptus Globulus	Seeds, cuttings and grafting are possible but difficult.	Mid to late spring or fall.	7-10 days	3-3.5 years	Australia, New Guinea, and Indonesia.
Gingko Biloba	Seeds, cuttings	Fall	1 month- 1 year	15-20 years	China
Moringa	Seeds or cuttings	Anytime but winter	3 days – 1 week	Bears fruit in 1st year.	Northern India
Neem	Seeds are easiest and most common way. Cuttings, suckers, roots, tissue culture.	Anytime but winter	1-3 weeks	Bears fruit in 3-5 years.	India, Pakistan and Bangladesh
Sandalwood	Seeds, air-layering, cuttings.	Early spring	4-8 weeks	Bears fruit at 5-10 years of age.	Western Australia
Witch Hazel	Suckers, cuttings, seeds can take over 1 year to germinate.	Take a softwood cutting in the mid-spring	30-90 days	4-7 years	Eastern United states.