SPICEBUSH (Lindera benzoin)
Height: 6 to 12 feet
Spread: 6 to 12 feet
Bloom Time: March
Bloom Description: greenish-yellow
Sun: Full sun to part shade
Suggested Use: Hedge or Natural Area
Flower: Showy and Fragrant
Tolerate: Deer, Walnut, Shade
Attracts: Butterflies & Honey Bees
Use: Winter interest and pollinators
Native to Jefferson County this great shrub gets a bad rap and is undervalued. The shrub is host to 13 species of butterflies including Spicebush Swallowtail and Eastern Tiger Swallow Tail. Birds require the shrub with 16 genera of birds utilizing it has part of their life source. Spicebush is unassuming and often goes unnoticed. The shrub is named for the Quaker Johann Linder. This shade tolerant shrub is a great feature to the landscape and is best utilized as a backdrop or to soften harsh lines or edges.
In early Jefferson County, Ohio histories, spicebush is referenced as a substitute for cinnamon and as an alternative to allspice. During the Civil War spicebush leaves were used to brew a tea that was often a substitute for coffee. The bark and leaves are aromatic and are a major ingredient in many perfumes.
