Specimen record

Northern Spicebush

Lindera benzoin

Description

One of the first shrubs to bloom in spring, spicebush produces clusters of tiny yellow flowers along its twigs before the leaves emerge. The entire plant is strongly aromatic — crushing any part releases a spicy, citrus-like fragrance. Glossy red drupes ripen in September and are eaten by birds, especially wood thrushes. Spicebush is the sole larval host plant for the spicebush swallowtail butterfly.

Identification tips

• 1Tiny yellow flowers in dense clusters directly on twigs, appearing before leaves in early April
• 2All parts strongly aromatic when crushed — spicy, citrus-like scent
• 3Alternate, simple, entire (untoothed), elliptical leaves
• 4Glossy bright red oval drupes in September, each containing a single seed
• 5Twigs slender and greenish with small pale lenticels; snap a twig and smell the spicy fragrance