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Rain Garden Plants: Spicebush

An informative guide on Spicebush (Lindera benzoin), covering growth habitats, ideal site conditions, and distinctive features such as yellow flowers and bright golden leave color in the fall.

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Updated:

June 25, 2026

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Spicebush leaves. Photo by Mike Masiuk, Penn State Extension

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This is a slow-growing, deciduous understory shrub with a rounded habit. It can grow in a variety of light conditions, including full sun in a rain garden. Clusters of yellow flowers are visible before leaves develop. Leaves are alternate and have an oblong shape with a smooth margin. Leaves display bright golden fall color. This plant is dioecious, so female plants require a male plant to set fruit. Ripened red berries are visible in fall. Conspicuous stem lenticels (raised pores on the stem) speckle the light brown to light gray bark. Stems, flowers, leaves, and fruit emit a spicy aroma when crushed. Spicebush attracts a variety of wildlife, including the spicebush swallowtail butterfly, promethea moth, eastern tiger swallowtail, other pollinators, birds, and small mammals. This shrub is resistant to deer browse.

Height: 6 to 12 feet
Bloom color: Yellow, green
Bloom time: March to May
Hardiness zone: 4a to 10
Salt tolerance: Low to none
Spreading habit: Clonal spread via roots sprouting, seeds are viable for
long periods, does not transplant well

Spicebush flowers. Clusters of small yellow flowers on a branch — Flowers. Photo by Jodi Sulpizio, Penn State Extension

Site Conditions

Sun: Partial shade, understory conditions
Soil: Rich, well-drained (pH 5.0 to 8.0)
Hydrologic zone: Moist, tolerates occasional flooding and occasional dry periods

Green maturing fruit. — Maturing fruit. Photo by Jodi Sulpizio, Penn State Extension

Spicebush fruit. Small red fruit-like berries along the stem — Mature fruit. Photo by Mike Masiuk, Penn State Extension

Spicebush stems. Multi-stem shrub. — Multi-stemmed trunk. Photo by Jodi Sulpizio, Penn State Extension

Overall appearance of a Spicebush shrub — Form. Photo by Emily Rojik, Penn State Extension

Spicebush leaves with yellow fall color — Fall color. Photo by Jodi Sulpizio, Penn State Extension

References

Cornell University, Spicebush
Ladybird Johnson Wildflower Center, Spicebush
North Carolina Extension, Lindera benzoin
US Department of Agriculture, Lindera benzoin (pdf)

Prepared by Jodi Sulpizio, Connie Schmotzer, Jessica Chou, and Beth Yount. Reviewed by Sandra Feather and Scott Sjolander. Finalized by Jodi Sulpizio.

For a printable PDF version of this article, contact Jodi Sulpizio at jrb143@psu.edu.

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