Dig into Plants: Spicebush

Spicebush

Other Common Names: Northern Spicebush, Wild Allspice

Scientific Name: Lindera benzoin

Native to Alabama: Yes

Spicebush
Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center – Julie Makin

Learn More About...

Basic Plant Information

Spicebush
flickr – Tom Potterfield

I am a vascular plant with a woody stems above ground, so I am a shrub.
I do not keep leaves year-round, so I am deciduous.
I renew my growth each spring for many seasons, so I am perennial.
I can grow 6 – 12 feet high and 6 – 12 feet wide.

Ecological Benefits

This plant provides food for:

Butterflies

Caterpillars
Spicebush Swallowtail,
Eastern Tiger Swallowtail,
Palamedes Swallowtail

Other Pollinators

Other Birds

Small Mammals

Other Plants Found in Alabama with Similar Ecological Benefits:

Southern Spicebush
(Lindera melissifolia)

Maintenance Notes

Dormant in winter.
Pruning is not necessary, but dead or damaged limbs should be trimmed.
Can grow in sun or shade, but sunlight promotes thicker growth and more fruits.
Need a male and a female plant to produce red fruits.
Good for hedge rows or rain gardens.
Can propagate with cuttings of young twigs.
When watering, hold hose to base of plant for a count of 5 seconds. Water should reach all roots.
Avoid sprinkling water on the leaves.

Until established, water two times per week during the summer and once per week during the rest of the year.

Habitat Requirements

This plant prefers:

Full Sun
(6+ hours of sun per day)

Part Sun/Shade
(2-6 hours of sun per day)

Shade
(Less than 2 hours of sun per day)

Average Watering

Well-drained, Sandy, Loamy, Limestone, or Moist soil

Leaf, Flower & Seed Identification

Spicebush Leaves
Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center – Julie Makin

LEAF DESCRIPTION

3-6 inches long and gradually taper toward the base – leaves are larger toward the tip of the branches and are smaller towards the bottom of the branches; upper surface is darker green than the lighter under surface; leaves and stems have a sweet, spicy, peppery fragrance; turn a bright yellow color before falling from the tree in autumn.

Leaf Characteristics Chart (PDF)


Shape: Obovate	Margin: Entire/Smooth

Arrangement: Alternate	Form: Simple

Spicebush Flowers
Wikimedia – Jason Hollinger

FLOWER DESCRIPTION

Small flowers with 6 short, yellow sepals; occur in dense clusters; male flowers are larger than female flowers.

Flower Shape Chart (JPG)


Color: White, Yellow, Pale Yellow	Shape: Campanulate or Umbel	Bloom Months: Mar – Apr

Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center – Sally and Andy Wasowski

SEED DESCRIPTION

Plant spreads by:
Seeds; In the fall, when the fruit is bright red and ripe, birds and other wildlife eat the fruits. After going through the digestion process, the seeds are able to germinate in the new location.


Type: Fruit – Berry	Description: Grow in clusters of 3 or 4 berries that are glossy bright red, oval shaped, and 1/2 inches in diameter	Months in Seed: Fall

Spicebush Bark
Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center – Julie Makin

BARK DESCRIPTION

New stems are light green with a spicy fragrance; Bark is brown or gray-brown with ligher colored spots called lenticels


Color: Brow, Gray-brown	Texture: Has lenticels (raised oval-shaped spots with a corky texture)

Plant Life Cycle

Plant Life Cycle:

All plants start life as a seed. Seeds contain the new plant (embryo) and the nutrients inside of a protective coat. They must be dispersed (moved to a new location)
Once a seeed lands in a suitable environment, it will begin to grow to form the cotyledon or sprout. Small roots will begin growing into the soil, and a small leaf is developed.
The sprout becomes a seedling, developing a stem and leaves above ground.
As the seedling continues to grow, it will develop into a mature adult plant.
Mature adult plants are able to produce flowers that can be pollinated. The pollination process leads to the formation of new seeds, and the process continues.

General Plant Life Cycle – Dreamstime

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES FOR TEACHERS

Quick Fact Sheet
(Condensed Species Info)

Plant ID Sign (Text Only):
Ready as-is PDF

Plant ID Sign (With Picture):
Ready as-is PDF

QR Code
(Links to this Webpage)

Plant ID Sign (Text Only):
Editable Word Doc

Plant ID Sign (With Picture):
Editable Word Doc

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