Spicebush Other Common Names: Northern Spicebush, Wild Allspice Scientific Name: Lindera benzoin Native to Alabama: Yes
	Spicebush Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center - Julie Makin Click on image to enlarge it

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Basic Plant Information
	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.
Spicebush flickr - Tom Potterfield Click on image to enlarge it

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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.

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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

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Leaf, Flower & Seed Identification
LEAF DESCRIPTION				Spicebush Leaves Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center - Julie Makin Click on image to enlarge it
Leaf Characteristics Chart (PDF)
Shape: Obovate	Margin: Entire/Smooth	Arrangement: Alternate	Form: Simple
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

 

FLOWER DESCRIPTION				Spicebush Flowers Wikimedia - Jason Hollinger Click on image to enlarge it
Flower Shapes Chart (JPG)
Color: White, Yellow, Pale Yellow	Shape: Campanulate or Umbel		Bloom Months: Mar - Apr
Description:
Small flowers with 6 short, yellow sepals; occur in dense clusters; male flowers are larger than female flowers

SEED DESCRIPTION			Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center Sally and Andy Wasowski Click on image to enlarge it
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
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.

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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.	Dreamstime Click on image to enlarge it

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Quick Fact Sheet (Condensed Species Info)

Plant ID Sign: Ready as-is PDF

Plant ID Sign: Editable Word Doc

QR Code (Links to this Webpage)

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Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center's Plant Database		USDA Plants Database
North Carolina Entension Gardener Plant Toolbox		Missouri Botanical Garden
Alabama Butterfly Atlas		Alabama Plant Atlas

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