Spicebush
Lindera benzoin
🌿 Botanical Info
Overview
Spicebush grows in part shade or shade and grows to 8-15’. It has yellow flowers March–April, and red fruits in August-September. Its leaves turn yellow in fall. The leaves, stems, and flowers all have a spicy-lemony scent that's similar to allspice. Spicebush is “dioecious”, meaning that male and female flowers grow on separate plants. You’ll find berries only on the female plants.
Cultivation
Pick the berries as soon as they turn red in early fall. As long as the fruit is red, it’s good to harvest.
More info
Spicebush is a host plant for the spicebush swallowtail butterflies – look for the caterpillar hiding in its leaves. Spicebush can be used as a native alternative to forsythia in semi-shaded gardens.
🍲 Culinary Uses
Taste and Flavor
The tea is made from fresh or dried leaves and twigs. It has a mild, chai flavor. The berries taste like a mix of allspice and pepper - spicy, complex, floral, with a little heat.
Nutritional Value
Spicebush is a good food source for birds.
Allergies
No known.