Lindera benzoin

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Lindera benzoin
Spicebush (4506720062).jpg
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Magnoliids
Order: Laurales
Family: Lauraceae
Genus: Lindera
Species:
L. benzoin
Binomial name
Lindera benzoin
L.
LIBE3.png
Range within North America
Synonyms

Benzoin aestivaleNees

Lindera benzoin (commonly called spicebush, [2] common spicebush, [3] northern spicebush, [4] wild allspice, [5] or Benjamin bush [2] ) is a shrub in the laurel family. It is native to eastern North America, ranging from Maine and New York to Ontario in the north, and to Kansas, Texas, and northern Florida in the center and south. Within its native range it is a relatively common plant where it grows in the understory in moist, rich woods, especially those with exposed limestone. [2]

Contents

Description

L. benzoin showing drupes and leaves Lindera benzoin.jpg
L. benzoin showing drupes and leaves

Spicebush is a deciduous shrub growing to 6–12 feet (1.8–3.7 m) tall. [6] It has a colonial nature and often reproduces by root sprouting, forming clumps or thickets. [7] The leaves are alternately arranged on the stem, simple, 6–15 cm (2–6 in) long and 2–6 cm (1–2 in) broad, oval or broadest beyond the middle of the leaf. They have a smooth edge with no teeth [8] and are dark green above and paler below. [6] The leaves, along with the stems are very aromatic when crushed with a spicy, citrusy smell, [9] [10] hence the common names and the specific epithet benzoin. In the fall the leaves turn a very bright and showy yellow color. [6] [10]

The yellow flowers grow in showy clusters which appear in early spring, before the leaves begin to grow. The flowers have 6 sepals and a very sweet odor. [2] The ripe fruit is a red, ellipsoidal, berrylike drupe, rich in lipids, about 1 cm (12 in) long and is eaten by several bird species. [11] It has a "turpentine-like" taste and aromatic scent, and contains a large seed. Spicebush is dioecious (plants are either male or female), so that both sexes are needed in a garden if one wants drupes with viable seeds. [2]

Like other dioecious plants, the female plants have a greater cost of reproduction compared to the male plants. [12] In the wild, the population tends to have more males than females possibly due to the heavier reproductive costs on females. [13]

The stem of L. benzoin has a slightly rough, but flat, bark which is covered in small, circular lenticels which give it a rough texture.

Other species in the genus Lindera also have common names containing the word "spicebush" and may appear similar. An example is Lindera melissaefolia which grows in swamps in southern US; it is differentiated by its hairy stems. [8] Calycanthus (sweetshrub, spicebush) is in a different family within the order Laurales and also has aromatic leaves. [11]

Cultivation

Spicebush is often cultivated in gardens or edges of gardens. The brightly colored fruits and early flowers along with the spherical growth form make the plant desirable in gardens. It is hardy in USDA zones 4-9 and tolerates shade excellently but will also grow in full sun. [6] When grown in sun the plant tends to grow denser and have more berries and flowers compared to growing in shade or partial shade. [6] [9] It is best to grow the plant from seed as its extensive rootsystem does not handle transplanting well. [6] At least three cultivars have been developed although they are rarely available: [10]

Although several butterflies and moths used spicebush as a host, they are not considered serious pests.

Uses

Male spicebush flowers Spicebush 2015-04-10-20.45.53 ZS PMax (17102412856).jpg
Male spicebush flowers

Due to its habit of growing in rich woods, early land surveyors used spicebush as an indicator of good agricultural land. [7] [8] The leaves, buds, and new growth twigs can be made into a tea. [15] The fruits can be dried, ground, and used as an allspice substitute. [16]

Native Americans, including the Cherokee, Creek, and Iroquois used the plant for treatments in multiple ailments. [17]

Ecology

Many animals feed on the leaves, twigs, and berries of spicebush. Some mammals include whitetail deer, Eastern cottontail rabbit, opossums. [7] [8] Over 20 species of birds including both gamebirds and song birds such as ring-necked pheasant, bobwhite, ruffed grouse and others have been known to feed on spicebush. [7] [8] The berries are a favorite food of wood thrushes. [7]

Lepidopteran host plant

Male spicebush swallowtail nectaring on a thistle Spicebush Swallowtail, male (2658608221).jpg
Male spicebush swallowtail nectaring on a thistle

Spicebush is a favorite food plant of two lepidopterous insects: the spicebush swallowtail ( Papilio troilus) and the promethea silkmoth ( Callosamia promethea). [18] It also supports the caterpillars of the cynthia moth, eastern tiger swallowtail, imperial moth, and the tulip tree beauty. [19]

The larvae of the spicebush swallowtail are easily found inside leaves that have been folded over by the application of silk; small larvae are brown, resembling bird droppings, and mature larvae are green. The anterior of a larva has two large eyespots and resembles the head of a snake. Since one or more broods (generations) of spicebush swallowtails typically occur each year, spicebush is a useful plant for the butterfly garden, since the egg-laying females are strongly attracted to it. Promethea moth cocoons, if present, are obvious during the cold season after leaf drop, and resemble dead leaves still hanging from twigs. Neither of these insects is ever-present in sufficient quantities to defoliate a medium through large spicebush, although very small specimens may suffer even from a single caterpillar.

Related Research Articles

<i>Sassafras</i> Genus of trees

Sassafras is a genus of three extant and one extinct species of deciduous trees in the family Lauraceae, native to eastern North America and eastern Asia. The genus is distinguished by its aromatic properties, which have made the tree useful to humans.

<i>Quercus velutina</i> Species of oak tree

Quercus velutina, the black oak, is a species of oak in the red oak group, native and widespread in eastern and central North America. It is sometimes called the eastern black oak.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Allspice</span> Pungent fruit of the Pimenta dioica

Allspice, also known as Jamaica pepper, myrtle pepper, pimenta, or pimento, is the dried unripe berry of Pimenta dioica, a midcanopy tree native to the Greater Antilles, southern Mexico, and Central America, now cultivated in many warm parts of the world. The name allspice was coined as early as 1621 by the English, who valued it as a spice that combined the flavours of cinnamon, nutmeg, and clove.

<i>Papilio troilus</i> Species of butterfly

Papilio troilus, the spicebush swallowtail or green-clouded butterfly, is a common black swallowtail butterfly found in North America. It has two subspecies, Papilio troilus troilus and Papilio troilus ilioneus, the latter found mainly in the Florida peninsula. The spicebush swallowtail derives its name from its most common host plant, the spicebush, members of the genus Lindera.

<i>Prunus virginiana</i> Species of plant

Prunus virginiana, commonly called bitter-berry, chokecherry, Virginia bird cherry, and western chokecherry, is a species of bird cherry native to North America.

<i>Salix discolor</i> Species of plant

Salix discolor, the American pussy willow or glaucous willow, is a species of willow native to North America, one of two species commonly called pussy willow.

<i>Lindera</i> Genus of flowering plants

Lindera is a genus of about 80–100 species of flowering plants in the family Lauraceae, mostly native to eastern Asia but with three species in eastern North America. The species are shrubs and small trees; common names include spicewood, spicebush, and Benjamin bush.

<i>Battus philenor</i> Species of butterfly

Battus philenor, the pipevine swallowtail or blue swallowtail, is a swallowtail butterfly found in North America and Central America. This butterfly is black with iridescent-blue hindwings. They are found in many different habitats, but are most commonly found in forests. Caterpillars are often black or red, and feed on compatible plants of the genus Aristolochia. They are known for sequestering acids from the plants they feed on in order to defend themselves from predators by being poisonous when consumed. The adults feed on the nectar of a variety of flowers. Some species of Aristolochia are toxic to the larvae, typically tropical varieties. While enthusiasts have led citizen efforts to conserve pipevine swallowtails in their neighborhoods on the West coast, the butterfly has not been the subject of a formal program in conservation or protected in legislation. The butterfly is however of "Special Concern" in Michigan, which is on the Northern limit of its range.

<i>Calycanthus floridus</i> Species of flowering plant

Calycanthus floridus, or commonly known as the eastern sweetshrub, Carolina all spice, or spicebush, is a species of flowering shrub in the family Calycanthaceae. It is identifiable by its dark red flowers and fragrant scent. It is non-invasive and is found in the Southeastern United States region. The Nature Conservancy considers its conservation status to be G5, globally secure, indicating it is at low risk of extinction. It is presumed to have been extirpated from Ohio.

<i>Anaphalis margaritacea</i> Species of flowering plant

Anaphalis margaritacea, commonly known as the western pearly everlasting or pearly everlasting, is an Asian and North American species of flowering perennial plant in the family Asteraceae.

<i>Salix scouleriana</i> Species of willow

Salix scouleriana is a species of willow native to northwestern North America. Other names occasionally used include fire willow, Nuttall willow, mountain willow, and black willow.

<i>Callosamia promethea</i> Species of moth

Callosamia promethea, commonly known as the promethea silkmoth, is a member of the family Saturniidae, which contains approximately 1,300 species. It is also known as the spicebush silkmoth, which refers to is one of the promethea silkmoth's common host plants, spicebush. C. promethea is classified as a silk moth, which stems from its ability to produce silk, which it does in the formation of its cocoon. C. promethea lives in forests in the eastern U.S. and does not damage the trees on which it lives. The species was first described by Dru Drury in 1773.

<i>Rubus ursinus</i> Berry and plant

Rubus ursinus is a North American species of blackberry or dewberry, known by the common names California blackberry, California dewberry, Douglas berry, Pacific blackberry, Pacific dewberry and trailing blackberry.

<i>Salix exigua</i> Species of willow

Salix exigua is a species of willow native to most of North America except for the southeast and far north, occurring from Alaska east to New Brunswick, and south to northern Mexico. It is considered a threatened species in Massachusetts while in Connecticut, Maryland, and New Hampshire it is considered endangered.

<i>Papilio palamedes</i> Species of butterfly

Papilio palamedes, the Palamedes swallowtail or laurel swallowtail, is a North American butterfly in the family Papilionidae.

<i>Lindera melissifolia</i> Species of shrub

Lindera melissifolia, common name pondberry or southern spicebush, is a stoloniferous, deciduous, aromatic shrub in the laurel family. This endangered species is native to the southeastern United States, and its demise is associated with habitat loss from extensive drainage of wetlands for agriculture and forestry. Restoration efforts are currently being conducted.

<i>Zanthoxylum americanum</i> Species of tree

Zanthoxylum americanum, the common prickly-ash, common pricklyash, common prickly ash or northern prickly-ash, is an aromatic shrub or small tree native to central and eastern portions of the United States and Canada. It is the northernmost New World species in the citrus family, Rutaceae, and is the type species in its genus, which includes sichuan pepper. It can grow to 10 meters (33 ft) tall with a diameter at breast height (DBH) of 15 cm (5.9 in). It produces membranous leaflets and axillary flower clusters. The wood is not commercially valuable, but oil extracts from the bark have been used in traditional and alternative medicine, and have been studied for antifungal and cytotoxic properties. The genus name is sometimes spelled Xanthoxylum.

<i>Salix bebbiana</i> Species of willow

Salix bebbiana is a species of willow indigenous to Canada and the northern United States, from Alaska and Yukon south to California and Arizona and northeast to Newfoundland and New England. Common names include beaked willow, long-beaked willow, gray willow, and Bebb's willow. This species is also called red willow by Native Americans according to The Arctic Prairies Appendix E by Ernest Tompson Seton.

<i>Adenodaphne</i> Genus of shrubs

Adenodaphne is a genus of shrubs and small trees endemic to New Caledonia belonging to the family Lauraceae. The genus is related to Litsea. They have 12 chromosomes.

<i>Lindera subcoriacea</i> Species of shrub

Lindera subcoriacea, the bog spicebush, is a plant species native to the southeastern United States from Louisiana to Virginia. It is a shrub that can reach up to 4 metres (13 ft) in height. Leaves are broadly elliptic, up to 8 cm long, and faintly aromatic when young. Flowers are yellow. Fruits are ellipsoid, deep red, about 10 mm long. It grows in acidic freshwater swamp forests in the Coastal Plain and Piedmont regions. In the northern portion of its range in the Carolinas and Virginia, L. subcoriacea is found only in the specialized stream pocosin habitat, while in the southern portion from Georgia onwards, it is found only in the wettest portions of the sphagnum bog habitat. As it is specialized and restricted to both of these very rare and unique ecosystems, L. subcoriacea is endangered due to habitat destruction and fire suppression. Only around 95 sites are known across this species' range to still sustain it, and most of these have only 1 to 5 genetically distinct individuals.

References

  1. Botanic Gardens Conservation International (BGCI); IUCN SSC Global Tree Specialist Group (2018). "Lindera benzoin". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species . 2018: e.T135956930A135956932. doi: 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2018-2.RLTS.T135956930A135956932.en . Retrieved 5 August 2023.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 Flora of North America: Lindera benzoin
  3. Peterson, Lee Allen (1977). Edible Wild Plants. Houghton Mifflin Company. p. 208.
  4. Lindera benzoin at USDA PLANTS
  5. "Lindera benzoin". Germplasm Resources Information Network . Agricultural Research Service, United States Department of Agriculture . Retrieved 26 December 2017.
  6. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Dirr, Michael A (1990). Manual of woody landscape plants (4. ed., rev. ed.). Champaign, Illinois: Stipes Publishing Company. ISBN   0-87563-344-7.
  7. 1 2 3 4 5 "SPICEBUSH PLANT GUIDE" (PDF). Retrieved 25 July 2016.
  8. 1 2 3 4 5 Peterson, George A. Petrides; illustrations by George A. Petrides, Roger Tory (1986). A field guide to trees and shrubs : northeastern and north-central United States and southeastern and south-central Canada (2nd ed.). Boston: Houghton Mifflin. ISBN   0-395-13651-2.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  9. 1 2 "Great Design Plant: Lindera Benzoin Offers 3-Season Interest" . Retrieved 25 July 2016.
  10. 1 2 3 4 5 Brand, Mark. "Plant Database". hort.uconn.edu. Retrieved 25 July 2016.
  11. 1 2 Rhoads, Ann; Block, Timothy (5 September 2007). The Plants of Pennsylvania (2 ed.). Philadelphia Pa: University of Pennsylvania press. ISBN   978-0-8122-4003-0.
  12. Martin, Cipollini; Whigham, Dennis (1994). "Sexual dimorphism and cost of reproduction in the dioecious shrub Lindera benzoin (Lauraceae)". American Journal of Botany. 81 (1): 65–75. doi:10.2307/2445564. JSTOR   2445564.
  13. Cipollini, Martin L.; Wallace-Senft, Dorothy A.; Whigham, Dennis F. (September 1994). "A Model of Patch Dynamics, Seed Dispersal, and Sex Ratio in the Dioecious Shrub Lindera Benzoin (Lauraceae)". The Journal of Ecology. 82 (3): 621. doi:10.2307/2261269. JSTOR   2261269.
  14. "Lindera benzoin 'Rubra' - Red Flowered Common Spicebush - Broken Arrow Nursery". www.brokenarrownursery.com. Archived from the original on 18 August 2016. Retrieved 25 July 2016.
  15. Niering, William A.; Olmstead, Nancy C. (1985) [1979]. The Audubon Society Field Guide to North American Wildflowers, Eastern Region. Knopf. p. 585. ISBN   0-394-50432-1.
  16. Elias, Thomas S.; Dykeman, Peter A. (2009) [1982]. Edible Wild Plants: A North American Field Guide to Over 200 Natural Foods. New York: Sterling. p. 219. ISBN   978-1-4027-6715-9. OCLC   244766414.
  17. "BRIT - Native American Ethnobotany Database". naeb.brit.org. Retrieved 25 July 2016.
  18. "Butterflies in Your Backyard NC State University". content.ces.ncsu.edu. Retrieved 26 July 2016.
  19. The Xerces Society (2016), Gardening for Butterflies: How You Can Attract and Protect Beautiful, Beneficial Insects, Timber Press.