A Short Story about Three Trees: Ravintsara, Ravensara & the True Camphor Tree

April 2026

Ravintsara, Ravensara are often the subject of discussions among aromatherapists, some defending one over the benefits of the other. It may be sometimes forgotten that there is a third party coming into the equation – the True Camphor Tree which may unwillingly add fire to the disagreement and possibly a certain element of confusion.

Journeying back to the origins of Ravintsara and the True Camphor Tree

Ravintsara shares its botanical name with the True Camphor Tree, Cinnamonum Camphora. Both are large evergreen trees from the Lauraceae family, with a grey to brown bark, glossy leaves, a broad, rounded canopy and grow to an impressive height of 20 to 30m. The leaves are oval to elliptical with a main central vein and two discreet side veins. The clusters of creamy white flowers slowly turn in time into small dark purple berries. The resemblance is so close that it is impossible to distinguish them from one another with the naked eye.
There are, however, two key differences between them.

Upon crushing the leaves of Ravintsara – Cinnamonum Camphora - a fresh eucalyptus aroma is released, but only from trees grown in Madagascar.
In contrast, The True Camphor Tree – also Cinnamonum Camphora – emits a strong camphor scent from trees found specifically across Asia: China, Taiwan, Korea and Japan

It is believed that Cinnamonum Camphora originated from Asia. The tree was a prized commodity and traded widely. The Camphor extracted from the leaves had been used extensively in traditional Chinese Medicine for centuries as a stimulant, an analgesic, an anti-viral and bacterial. The Oil also had cultural and religious significance for its ability to purify and disinfect places of worship. The wood was sought after in cabinet making partly for its durability and its aromatic content. It was used to protect clothing and precious vulnerable items as its smell repels insects and destructive organisms. It is no wonder that the reputation of such a magnificent tree crossed borders and continents and its appeal made it a desired possession.

It is not known when exactly the first trees touched the shores of Madagascar. Historian botanists tend to agree that this happened most likely during the XVIIIth century and was further promoted by the French colonisation of the island.
A new land, a new climate, and new soil conditions formed the set of unfamiliar parameters to which the trees had to adapt. They settled well, grew and developed retaining all their physical characteristics. But in response to the foreign environment they faced, their enzymatic pathways shifted, no longer synthetising Camphor as the dominant compound but instead favouring the production of 1.8 cineole. This tendency happened over time through natural selection, likely further reinforced by human endeavour to propagate trees exhibiting the strongest cineole expression. Indeed this shift was not lost on the Malagasy people and they quickly recognised the healing potential of the unexpected symphony of compounds held in the secretory cells of the leaves.