Lindera Benzoin

Spicebush is a rounded North American woodland shrub with aromatic twigs and oval leaves that release a warm citrus-spice scent when crushed. Tiny yellow star flowers cluster along bare branches in early spring, brightening the garden before the leaves unfold. Female plants later carry glossy red berries when a male grows nearby, and the foliage turns clear yellow in autumn. Lindera benzoin is also a host plant for the spicebush swallowtail butterfly. It thrives in moist acidic soil and partial shade, offering fragrance, wildlife value and three distinct seasons of interest.