Spicebush (Lindera benzoin) lin-DARE-ah BEN-zo-in Genus:  Lindera

This dioecious shrub has much to offer the garden. Male plants have showier, tiny, pale yellow flowers in early spring, but the female counterparts take center stage in early fall, when they're laden with half-inch-diameter berries that turn from green to yellow to high-gloss crimson. About the same time, the leaves turn a hypnotic soft yellow and make the red berries visually pop. Spicebush becomes a large, 5- to 8-foot-tall shrub that is slightly wider than tall. It is the preferred food for the black and blue spicebush swallowtail butterfly larvae.

Noteworthy Characteristics: 

Aromatic foliage, showy fruit, good autumn color. Host plant for swallowtail butterfly caterpillars.

Care: 

Grow in partial sun to light shade and wet to moderately dry soil. Plant a male and a female plant for berries.

Problems: 

Infrequent.

Overview

Height 6 ft. to 10 ft. Spread 6 ft. to 10 ft. Growth Habit Clumps Light Full Sun to Part Shade Moisture Medium Moisture Maintenance Low Characteristics Attracts Butterflies, Attracts Song Birds, Deer Resistant, Fragrant Flowers, Fragrant Foliage, Native, Showy Fall Foliage, Showy Flowers Bloom Time Early Spring Flower Color Yellow Uses Beds and Borders, Waterside Style Woodland Garden Seasonal Interest Spring Interest Type Shrubs