Saga’s Prefectural Tree

The camphor tree is an aromatic shade tree from which camphor was derived for use in medicine and mothballs. It is native to China and Japan, where it has been commercially used for its timber and essential oils for centuries.

This prolific tree has gained a reputation as a pest in many places to which it has been introduced. But the camphor tree is very popular in its native Japan, where it was adopted as the official tree of Hyogo, Kagoshima, Kumamoto and Saga. Saga also designated the tree’s blossom its official flower.

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