Northern Spice Bush

Northern Spice Bush is a deciduous shrub with aromatic, green leaves, clusters of small yellow flowers, and red berries, often attracting wildlife and providing a splash of color in woodland areas. They bring many benefits when thoughtfully integrated into landscaping designs, making them a valuable and ecologically significant addition to outdoor spaces.

The Northern Spice Bush is popular with gardeners and landscapers because of its pleasant scent. It's often simply referred to as the spicebush or wild allspice. Its botanical name is Lindera Benzoin, and it's part of the Laural or Lauraceae family, which includes the bay laurel, California laurel, cassia, and avocado plants. It's native to eastern North America and can be found in Maine and New York. However, it can also be found as far south as Florida and southwest into Texas and Arkansas.

Characteristics of Northern Spice Bush

It is revered by gardeners for its aromatic leaves and flowers, which have a distinct scent when crushed. This deciduous shrub typically grows up to 15 feet tall and wide but can sometimes reach heights of 20 feet. Gardeners can expect it to develop flowers from March through May and produce red berries from late summer through October. The leaves are green in the summer and change color in the fall. The leaves typically reach lengths of between two and six inches.

Attracting Wildlife with Northern Spice Bush

Gardeners who are looking to spice up their wildlife viewing opportunities will love planting them. This shrub is known to attract all manner of birds, bees, and small mammals. The bees are attracted to the flowers, and birds, especially the very wood thrush, are drawn to its berries. This shrub also attracts squirrels and butterflies.

Best Spots to Place Northern Spice Bush in Your Yard

Since the shrub can grow up to 15 feet high and wide, it's best to plant it in open areas. It looks best as the focal point of a shade garden or rain garden or along the perimeter of front and backyards.

Fantastic Companion Plants for the Northern Spice Bush

The shrub can be successfully planted next to several types of perennials, including grape hyacinth and monkshood. Gardeners can plant blue spruce and deep green hemlock next to Lindera Benzoin, and the shrub does well around dogwood and red vein dianthus. The shrub is a great plant for most gardens. It thrives next to other trees and shrubs and makes a statement with its signature scent.

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