Spice Bush

Lindera benzoin

Spice Bush is a native rounded deciduous shrub with spicy aromatic foliage and peppery scented and flavored berries.  The thick light green foliage turns an attractive yellow in fall.  Clusters of fragrant tiny green-yellow flowers bloom in early spring before the foliage emerges  attracting bees and butterflies, then give way to bright red fruits that are mostly hidden until the foliage drops.  Grows best in average, well drained soils.  Tolerates heavy shade, but habit will become more loose and spreading.

Lindera benzoin is a host plant for the Palamedes Swallowtail and the Spicebush Swallowtail butterflies. Learn more about planting for butterflies with Georgia natives with  this brochure.

MAINTENANCE NEEDS:  Low maintenance plant.  Susceptible to laurel wilt.  No serious pests or diseases.

LANDSCAPE USES: Accents or Group Plantings,  Borders,  Woodland Gardens,  Wildlife Gardens,  Naturalized Areas, and Containers.

COMPANION PLANTS:  Beautyberry, Fern, Aromatic Aster

IMAGES: Photo by  rockerBOO,  02515 Spicebush, (2)  Fritzflohrreynolds,  Lindera benzoin - Spicebush,  CC BY-SA 3.0, (3)  R. A. Nonenmacher,  Lindera benzoin 02533,  CC BY-SA 4.0

*As plants have ranges in appearance they may not appear as the images shown.