Spice Bush - Lindera benzoin
 
- A medium, deciduous shrub named for its spicy fragrant leaves and stems
- Blooms early spring with small yellow flowers mature in axillary clusters
- Bright red fruit ripens July - October, a favorite of birds/wildlife
- Dioecious, needing male and female specimens to reproduce
- Host plant for Spicebush Swallowtail
 
Lindera benzoin, or Spicebush, is an attractive shrub native to the Eastern United States. Spicebush grows up to 12 feet tall and prefers a location with part shade and average moisture. Fragrant yellow flowers bloom in early spring before foliage appears. Small red berries appear in fall on female plants. Foliage has a spicy, sweet scent when crushed and can be used for tea. Spicebush is the larval host plant for the Spicebush Swallowtail butterfly.