• Photo by: Shirley Denton, Suncoast Chapter FNPS

Lindera benzoin

spicebush

Nomenclature

Common Name:

spicebush

Synonym(s):

Genus species:

Lindera benzoin

Family:

Lauraceae

Plant Specifics

Form:

shrub

Size:

to 10 ft

Life Span:

Long-lived perennial

Flower Color:

yellow

Fruit Color:

red

Phenology:

deciduous

Noted For:

Showy Fruits, Aroma/Showy Fruitsagrance, Interesting Foliage

Landscaping

Recommended Uses:

Naturalistic settings and informal wet hammock settings.

Considerations:

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Availability:

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Propagation:

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Light:

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Moisture Tolerance:

Always Flooded---------------------------------Extremely Dry

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Usually moist, occasional inundation -to- Somewhat moist, no flooding

Salt Water Flooding Tolerance:

Unknown

Salt Spray/Salty Soil Tolerance:

Low/no tolerance of salty wind or direct salt spray

Soil or Other Substrate:

Sand, Organic

Soil pH:

Acidic

Suitable to Grow In:

8A,8B

Ecology

Wildlife:

Pollinators, Butterflies, Caterpillars, Birds



  • Larval host for the spice bush swallowtail and other butterflies. 


  • Attracts bees and flies.


Birds and mammals eat the fruits.

Native Habitats:

Bluffs, floodplains, calcareous hammocks. Rare.

Comments:

Ethnobotany:

General Comments:

Spicy smell to crushed foliage.



Florida is at the southern end of the range for this species, and the range is likely disjoint with the species occurring in areas where appropriate drainage conditions (seepy) are common.