The Spicebush - A Complete Profile

This video is a comprehensive overview of the Spicebush. It will cover all aspects of this plant from identification, growing conditions, germination, wildlife associations, culinary uses, medicinal, and how to landscape.
The Spicebush is a deciduous shrub native to Eastern North America. Scientifically known as Lindera benzoin, it typically grows 10-12′ tall in full sun and 3-5′ tall in shade and moist to medium-moist soil. Blooming small yellow flowers in Spring, it hosts several butterflies and caterpillars, and produces fragrant foliage and edible berries.
Digital Table of Contents
00:00 - Intro
01:05 - What is the Spicebush
01:40 - Spicebush vs Forsythia
02:53 - Identification
05:30 - Growing conditions
06:06 - Growth Rate
06:45 - Save seed
08:38 - How to grow from seed
10:32 - How to transplant
11:10 - Wildlife associations
12:03 - Where to buy Spicebush
12:20 - How to prune
12:53 - Culinary uses
16:24 - Medicinal uses of Spicebush
17:21 - Review
For more detailed information regarding this plant, see our article:
growitbuildit.com/lindera-ben...
For a native plant nursery guide, see here:
growitbuildit.com/where-to-bu...

[@richnam3188]

You have some of the most thorough plant profiles for natives in our region. I great appreciate and enjoy you videos. Keep up the good work!

[@growitbuildit]

Thank you Rich - I really appreciate it

[@iamthewelcher]

Yes.. What he said!

[@growitbuildit]

Thank you!

[@astro__phil]

Very informative and well put-together profile. A very delicious spicebush drink is made from the dead twigs on the bush that need pruning. It tastes remarkably like a coke or pepsi with a very complex and absolutely delicious flavor profile. Break the dead branches up until you have enough twigs to fill a jar of whatever size. Fill the jar with water and cold-infuse by putting the jar, closed, into the refrigerator 12-24 hours. Pour the water out and enjoy. I have also done this as a sun tea but prefer the gentler infusion. This is a Native American "recipe" I learned from David Welker, a naturalist in Virginia at the Blue Heron Outdoor School.

[@growitbuildit]

Now that is a use I hadn't heard of. Thank you for sharing - and I will remember for next time I need to prune it.

[@Herculesbiggercousin]

Idk how you do it. I was just reading about these because of my growing interest in planting a butterfly garden but didn’t find any resources that really broke the plant down like you do. The homie strikes again. Thank you!!

[@growitbuildit]

That is funny - maybe I should check in before I start the next video! Glad you enjoyed it, and really appreciate the kind words. Good luck!

[@Rick-se5qm]

Great info! Our property on the VA Blueridge is populated with spicebush. None of them flower, but some produce berries. The leaves turn yellow in the fall.

[@growitbuildit]

If you are getting berries, then you must be having flowers too!

[@HenhousetheRed]

That you! I collected a few seeds a few weeks ago, had saved them in the fridge with no idea what the best way to germinate was. Now I know I was fine going down the lazy path!

[@growitbuildit]

It definitely worked for me this year. No trouble at all...just don't let them freeze solid!

[@conniegriner1847]

Thanks for another great native plant profile. Growit Buildit is my favorite KZbin channel!

[@growitbuildit]

Thank you Connie!

[@joansmith3492]

I live in Texas, zone 8. I bought 2 little spicebushes (4 inch pot, about 6 inches tall) online this spring and planted them on the south side of a hackberry tree. They got morning sun and afternoon shade. They were growing a little and happy until we got to july and multiple 100+ f (110 once) highs and 83, 84 f lows. I covered them with burlap and gave them plenty of water. They still lost their leaves. Now that temps are lower, they are starting to grow leaves again. So, I don't think you can grow spice bush in the south in full sun. Just sayin.

[@growitbuildit]

That is a valuable insight to share Joan. Thank you for doing so. Do you think it could have been competition for the water with the Hackberry tree?

[@bill8985]

Thanks for posting this! We have one male that seems to be thriving along our creekbank... need to find a few females to plant nearby. Love this shrub.

[@growitbuildit]

That is cool you've got the males. I bet you can locate some berries, it is that time of year. Just head out and start scouting.

[@birage9885]

Man, you have a good channel. I live in Pa. and probably seen this bush a million times over the years and never knew what it was. I grow schisandra berry vines, and the berries have what they call a 5 spice flavor, which is very distinct. I put them in baked goods, teas, etc., but never thought about the cocktail thing. Not sure what they would do, but I think I may throw some in my next gin and tonic !!

[@growitbuildit]

Thank you! I'm very happy you are enjoying my videos. I'm with you when I you say you walked by this bush for years without knowing what it was - I was in the same boat. But that sounds like a cool berry you are growing. You should have no trouble trying to forage a lot of spicebush in late Summer, I could fill lots of zip-lock bags with them.

[@birage9885]

@@growitbuildit if you are curious what I grew it is this: www.logees.com/schisandra-eastern-princetm-schisandra-chinensis.html If you grow any, they are usually a good vine for a trellis or pergola or arbor.

[@T-Mo_]

Nice video, well done. Picked some berries this morning on my brother's property. Absolutely loaded underneath mature hickory trees. Interesting flavor. Probably be good in applesauce or pumpkin pie. I need to remove a sumac next to my garage that is getting too large. A couple of these would be a nice replacement.

[@growitbuildit]

Thank you - this could very well be a good replacement. Good luck starting some from seed.

[@iameowyn]

Fantastic video, thank you!

[@growitbuildit]

Thank you!

[@webbsmedley8546]

Great job!

[@growitbuildit]

Thank you! Glad you enjoyed it.

[@timharris5654]

Well done and informative! Thank you!

[@growitbuildit]

Thank you Tim - I'm glad you enjoyed it!

[@ripdoxyyy]

Amazing thank you for the information

[@growitbuildit]

You are very welcome - glad you enjoyed it!

[@BarbaraH261]

Great video! Adding another item to my native plant wishlist!

[@growitbuildit]

Thank you Barbara - it is a great shrub.

[@hossenfeffer8383]

Excellent and informative as always! Thank you 🇨🇦

[@growitbuildit]

Thank you! Glad you enjoyed it.

[@user-gi2xv5os2p]

Excellent video! Very educational. I’m looking forward to having spice bush in my yard.

[@growitbuildit]

Thank you - they are really nice shrubs.

[@donnamatthews4250]

Thank you for this very complete and informative video.

[@growitbuildit]

You are very welcome Donna!

[@LongislandnativeSanctuary]

my goodness your videos are so good, super informative.. love it thank you!!!

[@growitbuildit]

Thank you, I'm very happy you are enjoying them

[@blackwolf073]

Great video. Really well done. Thanks for sharing the info.👍👍

[@growitbuildit]

You are very welcome

[@dominiquebarrette9621]

Love your videos -so amazing, instructive, and complete thank you so much for sharing

[@growitbuildit]

Thank you so much Dominique! I'm very happy you enjoy them.

[@linguaphile42]

Two days ago, my boyfriend and I found tons of spicebush trees on the edge of his woods, and I was so happy to see your video. Looks like I will be getting some berries from him and trying to grow it! I'll probably try all the methods you mentioned, just to see what works best. Not sure if I missed it, but are there suckers or volunteers that I could just dig up and transplant?

[@growitbuildit]

I've never dug one up myself, but have heard from those who did. They had success when the plant was short....roughly 2' tall. But from what I've read more mature ones often fail when transplanting. You can't tell the sex of the plant unless it's flowering (which doesn't happen until they reach a certain size) or if there are berries. So transplanting can often be a crapshoot unless you know what it is before you dig.

[@LaconicMind]

I live in an area with Canadian tiger swallowtails and eastern tiger swallowtails. I saw one of those species lay 8 eggs on mine this year. NWF also lists it as being a host plant for Eastern Tiger swallowtails.

[@growitbuildit]

That is cool - I didn't know the Eastern Tiger laid eggs on it too. I haven't seen them visiting the one in my yard, but then again, I have lots of Poplar trees and some viburnum in the area.

[@donnahoward4236]

Enjoyed the video. Always nice learning something. I really like the thoroughness and thought that goes into each informative post. Thanks!

[@growitbuildit]

Thank you - I'm glad you found it informative. And I appreciate the kind words.

[@metacyclic]

I was looking for an understory plants for my oaks. I'll add these to the list. Thanks!

[@growitbuildit]

This is an excellent choice - good luck!

[@KimblesTheBrave]

I'm really hoping to plant some of these on my property, so thank you for the video! They grow all around the woods in my area (southern Ontario) and the berries are super interesting IMO. It's surprisingly hard to find info on them as a landscaping plant so I appreciate you showing what it looks like when grown in full sun. 😁

[@growitbuildit]

Thank you Kimbles - I'm very happy to hear you enjoyed it. It really is versatile in landscaping. Really easy to grow as long as you can keep the deer/rabbits away for a few years.

[@GoldenLife-uq2ms]

Incredible! Learned about thsi bush this year and a loving it. I've had enough of non-native plants and monocultures of plants that don't host anything. You have totally inspired me. Thank you.

[@growitbuildit]

THANK YOU - This is the kind of comment I love to see, as I want more people to grow these plants. Good luck!

[@GoldenLife-uq2ms]

Do you prune these bushes? I started to prune a neighbors this week and it didn't feel right. No sure it really needs it? Thanks again. @@growitbuildit

[@growitbuildit]

@@GoldenLife-uq2ms You can prune them in late Winter before they flower. This will allow you to shape it how you like. It isn't necessary, but is just a preference. The only thing I will always prune is if two branches are rubbing together.

[@GoldenLife-uq2ms]

Awesome, This helps me. Not going to touch it! @@growitbuildit

[@martinroncetti4134]

Great video (like all your videos!). Have you tried propagating the cuttings (taken from the late-winter/early-spring prunning)?

[@growitbuildit]

Thank you Martin. I have not tried cuttings on Spicebush. However, I have read that other people have, with success. That would be one way to guarantee a female plant.

[@justynwolf6402]

Loved your video. We have 3 spicebushes. Two are female and one is small and hasn't flowered yet. we know there are male spicebush somewhere nearby as we have berries every year. we are going to try germinating some of our seeds as per your directions and will also try some culinary uses. THANK YOU SOOO much. this video was quite helpful.

[@growitbuildit]

That is awesome that you have two females, so plenty of berries for birds and yourself. Good luck getting some to germinate, and thank you for the kind words. I'm very happy you enjoyed the video!

[@angelaward5800]

Nice video I found this video because I'm wanting to make a insect repellent with spice bush but I don't think anyone has tried that yet. In the Ozarks we make paw paw bread with fresh spice berries, I just use a banana bread recipe

[@growitbuildit]

That sounds like an interesting flavor - pawpaw bread with spicebush berries. Might have to try that sometime.

[@blackwolf073]

I see you have your Spice Bush relatively close to the house. I going to be buying some seeds and thinking,where in my landscape I should plant my spice bush? I've seen recommendations to plant them near walkways, near patios or decks because of their nice smell. Im assuming there are no concerns with a crazy root system? Great video again. Really enjoyed your thoughtful and methodical approach. Subscribed.👍👍

[@growitbuildit]

Hi - they don't spread via rhizomes or anything like that. So where ever you place it, you will have a single shrub. They prune easy, and can be shaped each year if you like. I would suggest that you grow 1.5-2 times as many plants as you think you want (initially), then hopefully you will get some females, and can remove excess plants.

[@blackwolf073]

@@growitbuildit thanks for the advice and rapid response. Greatly appreciated. Merry Christmas.

[@andyhudgins9443]

Fantastic presentation! What do you do with all of your seedlings? It looks as if you have a few hundred of different species each growing season.

[@growitbuildit]

Hi Andy - in late Spring I will determine how many of each I want, and then separate seedlings/pot-up into larger containers to grow until Fall. Then in late Summer early Fall, I will start planting like mad. It's easier to transplant lots of seedlings then, as you normally don't have to worry about watering anything. The cold temps mean there isn't really a heat demand, thus the plant doesn't use much water. But I also have a colleague at work who is reforesting his property. So when I grow a ton of trees, he usually wants them. In fact that is where most of my Pawpaws, Persimmon, and Spicebush went this year.

[@blueskies6475]

Thanks very much!! There are a lot of drinks that add bitters. I don't know what they use to make the bitters tho. I would make a jam with them.

[@growitbuildit]

Thank you for the tip - I don't really know much about mixed drinks outside of really basic stuff. But I would think you could certainly use this in them.

[@blackoakspring2193]

Thank you, happy to hear I wouldn't need a male/female to attract the caterpillars. I may have to take a walk in the forest to see if a spot a spicebush, great information, thank you.

[@growitbuildit]

You are very welcome. They aren't too hard to spot once you train your eyes. And it is incredibly easy to confirm by tearing a leaf and smelling.

[@Savethelepodopteraa]

Hey this video was super informative and overall pleasant to watch. I’m a horticulturist as well as garden designer who is 110% from the school of natives. One of my clients has a huge property upstate NY and I’ve been commissioned to design there landscape as well as pollinator garden. Just wondering, since the shrub does not sucker what is its growing habit. I’m interested in putting a male and female spice bush in the front along the house. If I wanted lower branches for a more fuller look vs taller is there a way of going about pruning that you recommend ? Thanks again.

[@growitbuildit]

Hi - thank you for the kind words. For getting lower branches, the key would be to make sure sunlight can reach the lower trunk. Like other trees/shrubs, Spicebush will try to maximize the surface area of leaves that can reach sunlight. So initially this would involve no pruning at all, but eventually you may need to prune upper branches back towards the main trunks to allow for lower branches to get sunlight.

[@Savethelepodopteraa]

@@growitbuildit that’s exactly what I was thinking/taught. Just wanted to confirm with you as you have a lot of experience/ love for this plant. Incorporating some native conifers ( weeping alaskan cedar, and juniperous) as well as Amelanchier laevis, and Aronia melanocarpa. And false-wild indigo Baptisia australis. Thanks again for your expertise . Much appreciated. And as a fellow gardener trying to make the world a more ecologically bountiful and biodiverse place, I thank you. I will continue to watch more of your vids.

[@danab172]

Can I plant these in CT in June??? If i start stratisfying now??? Thanks. (I wish u had a video on steeple bush, button bush, joe pye weed, and milk weed too.)

[@growitbuildit]

Hi - yes, as long as you have viable seed and start stratifying now! I have nothing published on Steeple or Button, but have good articles on Joe Pye and Milkweed (I do have a transplant Milkweed video though). growitbuildit.com/germinate-milkweed-seeds-step-by-step/ growitbuildit.com/joe-pye-weed-eutrochium-eupatorium/

[@danab172]

Thank you! 😊

[@AmyThoren]

Question: when you put your seeds in the garage, did you keep the soil moist? Did the soil just stay moist because it was cold enough there? Did you just put them in the garage and ignore them until spring? Thank you!!

[@growitbuildit]

Hi Amy - I gave the pots a small amount of water every week to counteract evaporation. You can just go pick them up periodically too though. They don't need to be sopping wet, but just can't dry out.

[@moodydew13]

any info on the allegheny chinquipin?

[@growitbuildit]

Sorry - I'm not familiar with that plant at all.

[@cecilialanders7037]

I have dug up a small sapling in the woods twice and it did not survive. So I will try by seed!

[@growitbuildit]

Thank you for sharing - I have never personally tried to relocate s sapling. I personally know people who have, and were successful though, and they were all tiny specimens.

[@danab172]

Hi. Just curious. This is an off question. But, my friend has this lawn (by a river) that is clay dirt. It stays wet. (Hard to mow) There are large puddle áreas in the lawn. Doesn't drain. Can you by chance suggest something that could grow in these clay lawn puddles? I've tried to Google. But keep getting conflicting info. Thanks 😊❤

[@growitbuildit]

What kind of plant? Flower, shrub, tree?

[@danab172]

All of them. ​@@growitbuildit

[@cecilialanders7037]

This culinary experiment cracked me up. I was watching this video while making dinner and drinking a GT.

[@growitbuildit]

Hahaha - I always thought it might make an interesting flavor cocktail. It wasn't for me, but it was fun trying. It really does taste good as a dry rub though.

[@Badger705]

Hmm maybe white liquor could be made with them. The use of sugar in the mash would cut the bitterness. Might produce a peppery flavor. Let us know if you ever run across anyone who's tried it. And no I don't do it but I have watched the Moonshiners TV show

[@growitbuildit]

That sounds like a great idea. I have never tried distilling anything though. I'm too busy with my hands in the dirt. If you separate the seed from the flesh, and eat them separately, you learn that the flesh is not nearly as strong as the seed. The seed is probably 70% of the flavor.

[@esmysyield2023]

Is this the same spice they use to make things like spice cake and ginger bread?

[@growitbuildit]

I don't think it is the same. You can buy dried berries online, but they are not widely available or used.

[@esmysyield2023]

@@growitbuildit your right the one i am talking about is called pamento dioica. Thanks!

[@ask-mw5hk]

Are the Spicebush berries similar to the Mexican Chiltepin pepper?

[@growitbuildit]

Hi - I'm sorry but I have never heard of that pepper.

[@danabenjamin3300]

Do you have to crush the leaves for the aroma,also are the flowers fragrant? Anyone who knows about this shrub please let me know...

[@growitbuildit]

Hi Dana - yes, you need to crush the leaves. I don't recall the flowers being fragrant, as they are quite tiny.

[@danabenjamin3300]

@@growitbuildit thank you very much!

[@Vezmerize]

🎉

[@growitbuildit]

Thank you!

[@kylemarkwardt529]

Do ground cherries next

[@growitbuildit]

I've got so many irons in the fire right now....maybe if I come across a patch.

[@Drpaper1]

Have you tried growing maple trees?

[@growitbuildit]

I've done Silver and Red. I have not tried Sugar/Black yet. Silver and red are quite easy though - just plant fresh seed in Spring when it falls.

[@Drpaper1]

Yeah there pretty easy.

[@sheliaheverin8822]

I planted one last year but it didn't survive winter. I wanted it to raise spicebush caterpillars/butterflies.

[@growitbuildit]

That is surprising Shelia. Maybe try again. Bare roots are very cheap if you purchase more than a few...as they have flat-rate shipping.

[@annharlan8926]

Usually bitter things are good for your kidneys.

[@growitbuildit]

Good to know - I do like to snack on the berries.

[@hakdov6496]

I tried growing them by seed in the spring with zero germination. I guess they froze solid. Sigh...

[@growitbuildit]

I understand - seeds that have special requirements can be a lot of trouble sometimes. I've had plenty of failures.....

[@ThreeRunHomer]

Do you think they’d grow under a black walnut tree?

[@growitbuildit]

Yes - they are perfectly fine under Black Walnut. In fact where I showed a Spicebush in a tree shelter? That is about 10' away from a 40' tall Black Walnut. If you are interested in other plants that are ok under Black Walnut , I made a long list of them here - growitbuildit.com/juglone-tolerant-plants-black-walnut-compatible/

[@ThreeRunHomer]

@@growitbuildit thanks! That list is very useful.