Camphor Bush

Tarchonanthus camphoratus, known as camphor bush for its scent and as leleshwa in Kenya, is a shrub or small tree that is widespread in Africa south of the Sahel and in Yemen. It reaches up to six metres, with white-felted twigs and leaf undersides, and bruised leaves smell strongly of camphor. The wood is fragrant, close-grained and durable, and rich in aromatic oils; it is used as fuel, as a source of charcoal, as a traditional building material and in tribal papermaking, and the oils are used as fragrances. The article says the Maasai use the leaves to scent their homes and their persons. It is also used as a traditional remedy for respiratory illnesses, and the species has a wide range of local uses, including dental hygiene. The plant is dioecious, which means each plant bears only male or only female flowers, and it flowers from December to May in South Africa.