🌿 Spicebush
Lindera benzoin
native_plants
deciduous shrub
Lauraceae
☀️ Sun
partial shade to full shade
💧 Water
moderate
🗺️ Zones
[4,5,6,7,8,9]
🧪 Soil pH
5.0-7.0
🪴 Soil Type
moist, rich
🚿 Drainage
Well-drained
📏 Spacing
6-10 ft
📐 Height
6-12 ft
Key:🤝 Grows well together❌ Keep apart☀️ Sun needs💧 Water🗺️ Hardiness zone
🤝 Companions (7)
Spring ephemeral companion , blooms before spicebush leafs out
Dynamic accumulator
Universal companion
Classic eastern woodland understory companions
Native groundcover beneath spicebush; both shade-lovers
⚠️ Keep Apart (2)
Juglone sensitive
📝 Growing Notes
The Appalachian allspice. Red berries taste like a blend of allspice, cinnamon, and black pepper , historically used as a spice when imported spices were unavailable. Tiny yellow flowers in earliest spring before leaves emerge. The sole host plant for spicebush swallowtail butterfly caterpillars.
🛒 Buy Seeds & Plants
Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds
Johnny's Selected Seeds
Botanical Interests
True Leaf Market
Burpee
Territorial Seed Company
Plot Buddies is reader-supported. When you buy through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission at no extra cost to you. This does not affect our plant recommendations. We only link to retailers we trust.