Spicebush

Spicebush
(Lindera benzoin)

Height:

• 6 to 12 feet

Bloom:

• March to April

Classification:

• Native
• Tree / shrub

Sun:

• Full sun to part shade (best)

Soil moisture:

• Medium to wet

Provides food for:

• Native bees (flowers)
• Caterpillars (foliage)
• Birds (fruit, caterpillars and other insects)

Notes:

• Can be used as a native alternative to forsythia.
• Leaves have spicy smell when crushed.
• Susceptible to laurel wilt disease.
• Spicebush and sassafras are the only host plants for the spicebush swallowtail in this region.

Native Range:

Relevant Backyard Ecology Resources:

Spicebush – A Native Shrub with Plenty to Like

Laurel Wilt Disease: Something we all need to be aware of