Unlikely — Zone Mismatch
camphor tree (zones 10-11) does not overlap with Illinois's zone range (5a-7b). Growing outdoors is unlikely without significant protection.
2 zones short — what would close it
Camphor Tree is hardy to zone 10, and the warmest ground in Illinois is zone 7 — 2 zones short. Planted in open ground it will not survive a Illinois winter. To grow it here, grow camphor tree in an earth-sheltered greenhouse — its modeled 2.5-zone lift covers this gap.
An earth-sheltered greenhouse is the lift this needs. How a greenhouse changes what you can grow →
Zone math from 10-11 (plant) against 5-7 (Illinois). Lift modeled by crop_engine.GREENHOUSE_ZONE_MODIFIER_BY_SUBTYPE['earth_sheltered'] (+2.5 zones) via api/fast_sections.py Unlock Engine v2.
Camphor Tree in Illinois — the short answer
Camphor Tree in Illinois: hardy in zones 10–11, full sun.
- Plant zones
- 10-11
- Rated hardy to zone 9b by NC State Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox, checked Oct 2026. The source rates it slightly hardier than our range. Ceiling: not verified.
- Illinois zones
- 5a-7b
- USDA PHZM 2023
- Frost window
- Mar 29 - Apr 8 – Oct 28 - Nov 5
- NOAA RCC ACIS 1991-2020, 28°F
- Shortest county season
- 177 days
- NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020, county 28°F killing freeze
Plant data: Growable Ground Plant Database, compiled from FAO ECOCROP, USDA PLANTS and university Extension sources — per-field provenance varies and is published with the dataset.
Your yard isn't the whole zone.
Illinois spans zones 5a-7b, but your yard sits in exactly one — and slope, tree cover, and cold-air pockets nudge it further. Enter your address and we'll score camphor tree against your parcel's actual hardiness, soil, and sun.
We read public map data for this spot — soil, climate, flood, and parcel records. How we handle your address.
No card required · your parcel report in seconds — read in full free for your first 14 days
Illinois is not one climate
Illinois’s winter-low ladder runs across 102 counties, from zone 5 in Carroll County to zone 7 in Williamson County. That is 20°F between the two counties’ average coldest night — the difference between camphor tree overwintering in the ground and coming under cover.
The middle half of 102 counties runs 5.5–6.5 zones, with a median of 6 zones — a 2-zone span end to end.
Measured across 102 Illinois counties. USDA PHZM 2023, per county. Quartiles are order statistics — every figure shown is a value a real county recorded, not an interpolation. Your own site sits somewhere inside this range; a parcel report resolves where.
Where Camphor Tree Stands in Illinois
Camphor Tree is rated for zones 10–11 — a cold floor USDA puts at 30 to 40°F. No Illinois county sits inside it, so in open ground this is a grown-under-cover plant here rather than a bed plant — which is a statement about Illinois winters, not about camphor tree.
Below the zone 10 floor
102 counties
- Carroll County · zone 5a
- Jo Daviess County · zone 5a
- Stephenson County · zone 5a
3 of 102 shown
Winter cold is the limit here — the same plant works in a container that comes under cover.
County hardiness zones: USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map (PHZM) 2023, per county. A zone is a 10°F band of average annual extreme minimum temperature, so the floor above is the band the plant's rating denotes, not a single measured kill point. Slope, shelter and cold-air drainage routinely move a site half a zone either way from its county figure — which is the part only your address resolves.
Zone Comparison
Camphor Tree Needs
- USDA Zones: 10-11
- Sun: Full Sun
Illinois Has
- USDA Zones: 5a-7b
- Last Hard Freeze (28°F): Mar 29 - Apr 8
- First Hard Freeze (28°F): Oct 28 - Nov 5
- Annual Rainfall: 34-48 inches
- Common Soils: Prairie loam, Silt loam, Clay loam
Plant Zone Range (zones 10-11)
Preferred Soil pH
Plant data: Growable Ground Plant Database, compiled from FAO ECOCROP, USDA PLANTS, and university Extension sources — per-field provenance varies and is published with the dataset. State data: USDA ARS PHZM 2023, NOAA Climate Normals, NRCS SSURGO.
When to Plant Camphor Tree in Illinois
The frost window
Across Illinois, the last spring hard freeze (28°F) clears between Mar 29 and Apr 8, and the first fall hard freeze lands between Oct 28 and Nov 5 (NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020). Counting from the latest last freeze to the earliest first freeze, that's a 203-day window you can count on — up to 221 days on a mild site in a kind year. That marks the hard freeze, not the last light frost, so tender transplants usually wait another 2-3 weeks.
Winter standing
Illinois runs as cold as USDA zone 5, and no sourced winter-hardiness floor is on record for camphor tree, so this page does not state whether it overwinters here — and gives no fall establishment date on the strength of a guess. Whether camphor tree is a permanent planting or a replant-every-spring crop for you turns on your own zone within Illinois; check its hardiness range against that before treating it as long-lived ground.
Timing tuned to sub-state frost dates — Jo Daviess County, not the statewide average.
Frost window: NOAA Climate Normals 1991-2020. Plant timing fields: Growable Ground Plant Database — frost-free days from FAO ECOCROP, days to harvest from university Extension production guides, and growing-degree-day and chill-hour minimums that are compilation estimates rather than published figures. Your site's own frost dates can run earlier or later than the state range — a parcel report pins them down.
Soil + Drainage Fit
Camphor Tree tolerates a wide pH range (pH 4.3-8) — 3.7 units, acid ground through alkaline — so soil acidity is rarely what limits it in Illinois. A soil test is still worth having, but for what else it tells you about this site, not to clear this plant. It will grow across that whole span, but it does best between pH 5.5 and 7 — worth knowing before you decide whether a Illinois soil test result is a problem or just a number. Drainage matters: this plant wants well (dry spells). If your Illinois site is heavier clay or sits in a low spot, a raised bed lifts the roots above wet ground, or work in compost.
Your land, not the state average
SSURGO maps about 52.0% of Illinois as poorly or somewhat-poorly drained, and the class flips parcel to parcel. Camphor Tree sits mid-range for drought tolerance, so either extreme can cost you — your soil map unit, not the state average, is the real answer.
Check your parcel → Source: USDA NRCS SSURGO.
Plant pH requirements: FAO ECOCROP and USDA PLANTS, with the remaining rows from other published sources or Growable Ground compilation. Drainage: FAO ECOCROP, with the remaining rows from other published sources or Growable Ground compilation. Illinois soil profile from USDA NRCS SSURGO. Site-specific verification: a 30-minute soil test from your local Extension lab.
What Else to Consider for Camphor Tree in Illinois
Zone compatibility tells you about winter cold survival — but Illinois growers also need to think about:
Heavy clay soils in northern IL drain poorly
Extreme temperature swings between summer and winter
Japanese beetles are a major garden pest
Growing camphor tree here specifically
Camphor Tree rates to USDA zones 10–11 and takes frost damage on growing tissue around 30°F (FAO ECOCROP), but cold isn't the risk in Illinois — wet is: with roughly 52.0% of its soils poorly-drained (SSURGO), soggy ground rots the crown.
Give camphor tree a raised bed or mounded row with coarse amendment so its crown never sit wet. How to handle it →
What to actually do about these — and the constraints that apply to every Illinois grower, not just camphor tree — is covered on the Illinois growing guide.
Timing shifts within Illinois
Illinois isn't one climate. In Jo Daviess County, the last hard freeze (28°F) holds until about Apr 22 — roughly 20 days later than the recorded state median — so plant camphor tree to your county's window, not the statewide date.
County last-freeze dates: NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS (1991-2020), county 28°F freeze (earlier than the folk 32°F "last frost"). A parcel report resolves your address's own frost dates.
Where in Illinois Camphor Tree Is Zone-Hardy
Camphor Tree is rated for USDA zones 10–11. No Illinois county reaches it. Even Williamson County, the state’s mildest winter at zone 7a, sits below the plant’s zone 10 floor — so in open ground this one needs winter protection here, or a container that comes under cover.
Across those 102 counties Illinois’s winter-low ladder runs from zone 5a in Carroll County to zone 7a in Williamson County — 2 USDA zones of spread, which is 20°F between the two counties’ average coldest night of the year. None of that range reaches the band camphor tree needs, so here the statewide answer really is the answer.
County hardiness zones: USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map (PHZM) 2023, per county. Camphor Tree’s zone 10–11 band: Rated hardy to zone 9b by NC State Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox, checked Oct 2026. The source rates it slightly hardier than our range. Ceiling: not verified.. A parcel report resolves your address’s own zone and frost dates rather than its county’s.
Pollinator + Wildlife Value
Camphor Tree draws honeybees (low value). Planting it near vegetable beds can lift fruit set on neighboring crops. Outdoors, camphor tree can only work that bloom inside Illinois's frost window — roughly 212 days, opening after the last 28°F freeze (Mar 29 - Apr 8) and closing at the first (Oct 28 - Nov 5), per NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020. Pollinator value: We haven't confirmed this against a published source yet.
Good to Know Before You Plant Camphor Tree
Camphor Tree is listed as toxic to dogs, cats (all) at a moderate level. (Source: Pet Poison Helpline.) Most listed plants only cause brief upset — a raised bed or a fenced corner usually keeps curious pets clear.
Illinois Cooperative Extension
For Illinois-specific cultivar recommendations, planting calendars, and pest pressure for camphor tree, the canonical source is University of Illinois Extension. Their fact sheets carry the local trial data we can't generalize across 50 states.
Is Camphor Tree native to Illinois?
No — the USDA PLANTS Database lists Camphor Tree as introduced rather than native in the Lower 48, so it is not part of Illinois's native flora. It grows here as a garden plant; pairing it with a few Illinois natives keeps local pollinators fed too.
Looking for plants that belong here? The Illinois growing guide lists plants that USDA PLANTS records growing in Illinois and that Kew and NatureServe Explorer both list in its native range, leaving out any that NatureServe flags as exotic there or that our audit holds.
State records: USDA PLANTS Database state-distribution data (presence, not state-level nativity), accessed 2026-10-19.
Common Questions About Growing Camphor Tree in Illinois
When can I plant Camphor Tree in Illinois?
Illinois's last spring hard freeze (28°F) clears between Mar 29 and Apr 8, and the first fall hard freeze lands between Oct 28 and Nov 5 (NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020). No sourced winter-hardiness floor is on record for Camphor Tree, so this page does not state whether it overwinters in Illinois and publishes no fall establishment date for it — check its hardiness range against your own zone before treating it as a permanent planting.
What hardiness zone is Camphor Tree grown in across Illinois?
Illinois spans USDA hardiness zones 5a-7b (USDA ARS PHZM 2023). Camphor Tree is listed for zones 10-11, which do not overlap them, so there is no zone in Illinois where this page can call outdoor growing reliable. A parcel report resolves your own address's zone.
How many frost-free days does a typical Illinois site have?
A typical Illinois site sees ~212 frost-free days per year (derived from NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020). Camphor Tree needs 270+ frost-free days, so check whether your local microclimate runs above or below the state average before settling on a planting date. In cooler counties like Jo Daviess, the freeze-free season runs shorter than the state average, so verify your own county's window.
Is Camphor Tree native to Illinois?
No — the USDA PLANTS Database lists Camphor Tree as introduced rather than native in the Lower 48, so it is not part of Illinois's native flora. It grows here as a garden plant; pairing it with a few Illinois natives keeps local pollinators fed too.
How should I amend the soil for Camphor Tree in Illinois?
Camphor Tree tolerates pH 4.3-8 and well (dry spells) drainage (FAO ECOCROP). That is a 3.7-unit span, acid ground through alkaline, so pH is rarely what limits this plant on a Illinois site — amend for drainage and organic matter first.
Will Camphor Tree actually grow on my specific land in Illinois?
State-level zone + climate data is a sketch. A Growable Ground parcel report scores camphor tree against your address's mapped soil pH, drainage, sun, and frost-date data drawn from USDA SSURGO, NOAA, and PRISM — not state averages.
Check your specific parcel in Illinois
State-level data is a sketch. Your Growable Ground report scores camphor tree against your land's mapped soil, modelled sun, drainage, and frost data — not zone averages.
Three things about your lot that Illinois camphor tree averages can't show:
We read public map data around Illinois — soil, climate, flood, and parcel records. How we handle your address.
25+ data sources read at your address, not the Illinois camphor tree average
Explore More
Growing guides for camphor tree
Explore Illinois county by county
Illinois carries 102 counties with their own USDA zone — a sample of the growing pages for camphor tree there:
Where else camphor tree grows
Camphor Tree's zone band crosses state lines — these are the states closest to Illinois in winter climate where it also has a page, plus the far ends of its range. Each one re-answers the question with that state's own record.
More to grow in Illinois
Illinois has a growing page for 889 plants — a rotating sample of the rest of the shelf.
Analysis by the Growable Ground research team, grounded in USDA PLANTS, USDA NRCS SSURGO, NOAA Climate Normals (1991-2020), and named Cooperative Extension sources. How we know →
Cite this dataset
Kirchick, M. (2026). Growable Ground Plant Database [Data set]. Zenodo. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.21435643
Licensed CC BY-NC 4.0. DOI 10.5281/zenodo.21435643
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