Spicebush
Lindera benzoin
Click or tap the section titles below to learn more about this species!
CLASSIFICATION: What’s in a name?
Scientific Name: Lindera benzoin. The epithet, benzoin, is derived from the Arabic luban jawi (incense of Java) through French benjoin.2 A fitting name for this highly fragrant shrub!
Common Name: Spicebush. Again, the common name reflects this plant’s aroma and use as a spice.
Family: Lauraceae (Laurel family). Plants in the Laurel family are rich in fragrant oils, and are most diverse in the tropics. Familiar examples include avocado, cinnamon, bay, and camphor.
IDENTIFICATION: What does it look like?
Average Height: 8-15 feet
Description: A medium-sized to large shrub found in the forest understory. The bark is smooth and gray, with small lenticels (breathing pores). The leaves are simple, oval, and smooth on the edges, arranged alternately on the stem. The flowers bloom in late winter to early spring, before the leaves. They are bunched along the twigs, small, and a bright chartreuse or yellow. Later in the fall, the oily red drupes ripen.
Bloom time: Feb – Apr
Notes: All parts of this plant have a strong, lemony-spicy fragrance due to the presence of multiple highly aromatic compounds.
LOCATION: Where is it at home?
Range: Found statewide, documented in every county in Virginia!6 Widespread across North America, from Florida and Texas north to Ontario and southern Maine.1
Geology/Soil: Most frequently found in sandy or loamy soils of bottomlands and floodplains, also in mucky wetland soils and rich clay.
Habitat: Swamp forests, floodplains, seepages, rich slope forests, oak-hickory forests. Most frequent in nutrient-rich soils.5
CONNECTIONS: What are its relationships to other plants, animals, and humans?
Flora associations: Occurs with a large number of plant species across its large native range. In the Virginia Piedmont, common associates include red maple (Acer rubrum), tuliptree (Liriodendron tulipifera), green ash (Fraxinus pennsylvanica), ironwood (Carpinus caroliniana), Christmas fern (Polystichum acrostichoides), bloodroot (Sanguinaria canadensis), and honewort (Cryptotaenia canadensis).
Fauna associations: This is the larval host plant for the lovely spicebush swallowtail (Papilio troilus).4 The fruit are an extremely valuable food source for migrating songbirds in the fall, since they are especially high in nourishing lipid fats.
Human associations: Indigenous people have found many uses for this plant. The young twigs and dried leaves can be used to brew an aromatic tea, while the fruit can be dried and ground into a spice. In addition to its culinary uses, many tribes use this species medicinally for a variety of ailments, including colds, cough, and sores.3,7
We want these plants to thrive and for everyone who gets to visit the park to enjoy them, so remember – don’t pick flowers or other parts of the plant!!
Bibliography & Definitions
1 “2013 BONAP North American Plant Atlas. TaxonMaps.” Bonap.net, bonap.net/Napa/TaxonMaps/Genus/County/Lindera. Accessed 28 May 2024.
2 “Benzoin | Etymology of Benzoin by Etymonline.” Www.etymonline.com, www.etymonline.com/word/benzoin. Accessed 28 May 2024.
3 “BRIT – Native American Ethnobotany Database.” Naeb.brit.org, naeb.brit.org/uses/search/?string=lindera. Accessed 28 May 2024.
4 Hilty, John. “Spicebush (Lindera Benzoin).” Www.illinoiswildflowers.info, www.illinoiswildflowers.info/trees/plants/spicebush.htm. Accessed 28 May 2024.
5 LeGrand, Harry , et al. “Vascular Plants of North Carolina.” Ncparks.gov, 2019, auth1.dpr.ncparks.gov/flora/species_account.php.
6 Virginia Botanical Associates. “Digital Atlas of the Virginia Flora | Lindera Benzoin (L.) Blume.” Www.vaplantatlas.org, www.vaplantatlas.org/index.php?do=plant&plant=2917&search=Search. Accessed 28 May 2024.
7 Nesom, Guy. Plant Guide Lindera Benzoin (L.) Blume Plant Symbol = LIBE3.
Definitions:
Drupe: a fleshy fruit with a single hard seed (stone). Plums, peaches, and cherries are familiar examples of drupes.