Remove the no strict 'refs'; in both subroutines and try the following: 
my $root = {};
_create_node( $root, 'pp1', 'first' );
_create_node( $root->{pp1}, 'ppp1', 'second' );

# And so forth

[download]

You were forcing your code to use symbolic references. Intrinsically, it wasn't doing so. In other words, the code didn't look like it forced the use of symbolic references. It was only your usage of it that was forcing it to do so. And, by doing it my way, you will avoid some really nasty, hard-to-find bugs.

My criteria for good software:
  1. Does it work?
  2. Can someone else come in, make a change, and be reasonably certain no bugs were introduced?

In reply to Re^5: Invoke sub whose name is value of scalar by dragonchild
in thread Invoke sub whose name is value of scalar by andreas1234567

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