(Lindera benzoin)
The Laurel Family (Lauraceae)
Large bush to short tree with alternate, deciduous, glossy leaves and gray-brown, speckled bark.
Habitat:
Low, deciduous woods, stream banks and swamps.
Interesting Facts:
Named for its spice-like fragrance. Young leaves and twigs brewed into a tea; and dried leaves and drupes used as an allspice substitute. Camphor found in leaves and fruit utilized as a stimulant, antibiotic, astringent and natural breath freshener. Host to the Eastern Tiger Swallowtail and Spicebush Swallowtail butterflies and the Promethea Silkmoth.
Fruit:
Bright red drupe .375” long with a large seed and a peppery taste and scent, matures in fall.
Flower:
Fragrant, small, yellow blooms appearing in axillary clusters before the leaves in early spring.
Wildlife value:
Very valuable early spring pollen source for bees and other insects; drupes are eaten by at least twenty-four bird species and leaves occasionally grazed
by deer and rabbit.
Fruit
Flowers
Leaf type:
Simple
Pollinator:
Wildlife value:
Tree dimensions:
Leaf length: 3.00-5.00 inches
Tree height: 6.00-20.00 feet
PDF link:
Where to find Spicebush on the Louisiana State Arboretum Trails:
WAB - Walker Branch Trail 16.0
Refer to our Live Map to locate this species and its interpretative signage on the trail system.