Northern spicebush
Lindera benzoin (L.) Blume
Also called northern spicebush, spicebush.
Shade-tolerant native shrub with tiny yellow flowers in earliest spring, aromatic leaves, red fruit on female plants and clear yellow fall colour.
Size over time
Typical landscape size 1.8–3.6 m (6–12 ft) tall and 1.8–3.6 m (6–12 ft) wide; medium growth, about 6 years to maturity. Intermediate sizes use the planner’s growth curve (k = 0.25) from the #3 install size.
Bloom
Yellow flowers, Mar–Apr (northern-hemisphere months; timing shifts with region and season).
| Plant | J | F | M | A | M | J | J | A | S | O | N | D |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Northern spicebush : Mar–Apr |
Design notes
- Host plant of the spicebush swallowtail butterfly.
- Male and female plants; plant several for fruit.
Regions
Native range: Eastern North America.
Native to these OpenLandscape3D pilot regions:
Native status describes where the species occurs naturally. It is not a promise that it suits a particular garden; site conditions decide that.
Related plants
Plan with Northern spicebush
Place it in a design, check it against your zone, light and moisture, and see it at year three and year ten.