PlantFiles: Spicebush, Spice Bush
Lindera benzoin

L. benzoin is native here, growing wild in the fencerows around the field where our house is, even in considerably more sun than I would have thought it could take. It is a much better understory shrub than the honeysuckle bush that bedevils our woods, but it prefers relatively moist sites.

The roots are shallow, early spring transplantation works well, just after the buds break.

Wonderful fragrance and berries, BUT only on female plants.

I love this plant. I love the smell of the leaves, I love the bright yellow green, I love the natural woodsy look. I was so excited about this little plant when I got it and it near doubled in size in it's first two months. Then the summer heat (90's and higher) hit and it did not do well. It could not take any of the direct sunlight it was getting for two hours a day and was so wilted that it looked as though it would simply not make it. I moved it to total shade, but it was a gonner. The leaves were now turning to dry paper. I took it to the cool basement with a flourescent light right above. It's doing fine here for now, though I know I can't keep it there. After it perked up I brought it back out on a high 80's day, in it's terra cotta pot, in the shade and it completely wilted nearly immediately, and again into the basement it went and there it perked right back. I believe what I did to hurt the plant originally was that it was too wet. I know it wasn't dry. And when I first took it out to move to the shade there was a smell of rot to the roots. It was in the most clay soil in my yard and I must have dug too deep a hole and it bowled the water and rotted. This really about did the plant in and it is STILL in the basement. I'm going to let it out in late mid to late August when it gets a little cooler. I guess I'll leave it in it's pot and then transplant it in Autumn. I hope that it makes it through the Winter. In the Spring it will find itself in a total shade place with a couple hours of very late day sun, a high bed and very nice soil. I love this plant and hope it makes it.

For some reason my spicebush has not bloomed in the 3 years since I planted it. It's growing well, in fact it's grown very fast. Anyone have any suggestions?

This plant is tough - and beautiful! I got mine about 4 years ago from a prairie plant sale. The company the vendor used to transport plants to the sale site packed the plants in; some by the exhaust. The plant was literally scorched. The vendor gave me a large percentage off, so I decided to try to save it. I planted it by a large silver maple whose roots I had to fight to get the plant in. (I know - dumb!) It grew and flourished, but looked cramped, so this year, I finally moved it. This is the truth - the minute I moved it, its incredible grace and beauty came out - it looked BEAUTIFUL!!! That was two weeks ago. This weeks, it's flowers are out and it looks actually PROUD!

This plant is a larval food source for the Spicebush swallowtail.

AKA Northern Spicebush, known in the north as 'wild forsythia' because it blooms yellow in very early spring. Landscapers like it for the blooms and the red berries that persist into late fall. Beloved by native Americans, all parts have been used medicinally. A fragrant tea can be made from the leaves, which give off a lemony aroma. The berries can be dried and used like allspice or black pepper, hence the common name. Fresh spicebush berries can be crushed to season meats, stews, soups, etc. A beverage similar to ginger ale can also be made from the fresh berries. Pioneer families kept the cut twigs in their kitchens - the 'spice sticks' were used to flavor soups. Modern usage is mostly for potpourri. Some birds and also bears eat the berries.

An attractive native shrub or sometimes a small tree. The yellow flowers appear on naked branches in early spring. The red berries ripen in late summer or fall. Usually on found on wet sites in woodlands.

I give this a positive because it's a host plant for the spicebush caterpillars and the berries are delicious and can be made into jelly.