Spicebush yields early flowers, red berries and yellow fall foliage

September 2024

by Steve Carroll, Contributing Columnist

Native spicebush is an attractive, aromatic shrub in the laurel family (Lauraceae), and a close relative of sassafras. Though most members of this plant family are subtropical or tropical, spicebush (Lindera benzoin) grows from Florida and Texas north to Maine and southern Ontario. Plants in the laurel family frequently contain high concentrations of essential oils; many are poisonous. On the other hand, spicebush is edible, as are other family members, such as avocado, bay and cinnamon.

Spicebush is a multi-stemmed shrub that can reach 12 to 15 feet in height and several feet in width. It generally does best in moist woodlands, floodplain forests, swamps and along forest edges. Spicebush can grow in both sunny and shady sites, but it flowers best with some sun. Horticulturally, it can be used as a specimen, understory or border plant in Cold Hardiness Zones 4-9; because it tolerates both wet and dry soil, it can also be planted in rain gardens.

Spicebush opens its flowers in early spring, well before it leafs out. The small flowers grow in tight clusters, which, when viewed from a distance, have been described as creating a soft yellow haze or cloud of yellow. In northern states, it is sometimes called “the forsythia of the wild.” Individual plants are unisexual, producing either male or female flowers. Therefore, to have fruit, you must plant at least one shrub of each gender. The small, berry-like fruits, which turn red in late summer to early fall, are eaten by grouse, mockingbirds, turkeys, deer, rabbits, opossums, and other birds and small mammals.

The three-to-five-inch leaves attach singly along the stem, have smooth edges, taper at both ends and turn a pleasing yellow in the fall. They are the host plant for the caterpillars of spicebush butterflies and promethea moths. The bark is brown to gray with many prominent, light speckles (lenticels). When crushed, the leaves, fruits and twigs give off a spicy odor — hence the plant’s name.

Spicebush has been widely used in cooking and medicine. Some Native Americans used it to flavor their food and brewed a bark tea to treat colds and rheumatism. European settlers used crushed fruits as a substitute for allspice. They also steeped crushed leaves and twigs to make a spicy tea for treating colds, worms and gas. Researchers have recently investigated spicebush’s potential usefulness in treating arthritis and certain cancers.

Spicebush is not easily transplanted and is also sensitive to heat and drought. These limitations aside, if you have an appropriate spot on your property, this attractive shrub may be just what you’ve been looking for.

Steve Carroll is a botanist and ecologist who speaks and writes about trees, gardening and the world of plants. He is the co-author of “Ecology for Gardeners,” published by Timber Press.