Lindera benzoin (L.) Blume Spicebush, northern spicebush
Spicebush, named for the spicy odor its leaves produce when crushed, is a Florida native deciduous shrub. They prefer swamps, stream edges, and low riparian forests. They are now found through much of the eastern United States. Plants: The rounded shrubs are usually 6-12' (1.8-3.7 m) in size, sometimes becoming a small tree, reaching up to 15' (4.6 m). Bark is thin, and brown or gray-brown. Leaves: Thick, alternate, entire, obovate, with smooth edges. Leaves are light green and up to 7" (18 cm) × 2½" (7 cm). Flowers: Dense clusters of yellow-green flowers emerge from branches before leaves appear in the spring. Each flower is ¼" (6.3 mm) around, with six yellow or greenish-yellow sepals. Flowers are dioecious—some plants have male flowers and others have female. Fruits: Female plants produce bright red oblong drupes up to ½" (1.3 cm) long. Online References:
Lindera benzoin at the Missouri Botanical Garden Lindera benzoin on gobotany.nativeplanttrust.org Lindera benzoin on npsnj.org (Great photos of male and female flowers) Lindera benzoin at the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences Lindera benzoin on plants.ces.ncsu.edu Lindera benzoin on floranorthamerica.org 9/13/2015 · Beaver Brook Conservation Area, Hollis, New Hampshire 4/23/2016 · Big Tree/Porcupine Trail, Beaver Brook Conservation Area, Hollis, Massachusetts 7/28/2017 · Porcupine Trail, Beaver Brook Conservation Area, Hollis, New Hampshire 10/3/2010 · Dingmans Falls, Dingmans Ferry, Delaware Township, Pike County, Pennsylvania 8/30/2016 · Massachusetts 7/28/2017 · Porcupine Trail, Beaver Brook Conservation Area, Hollis, New Hampshire 10/3/2010 · Dingmans Falls, Dingmans Ferry, Delaware Township, Pike County, Pennsylvania
Lindera benzoin description by Thomas H. Kent, last updated 7 Oct 2021. © FloraFinder.org. All rights reserved. |
9/13/2015 · Beaver Brook Conservation Area, Hollis, New Hampshire 9/13/2015 · Beaver Brook Conservation Area, Hollis, New Hampshire 9/13/2015 · Beaver Brook Conservation Area, Hollis, New Hampshire 9/13/2015 · Beaver Brook Conservation Area, Hollis, New Hampshire 7/28/2017 · Porcupine Trail, Beaver Brook Conservation Area, Hollis, New Hampshire 7/28/2017 · Porcupine Trail, Beaver Brook Conservation Area, Hollis, New Hampshire Range: Zones 4b-9a:
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