The very first plant I learned to forage was the common spicebush, Lindera benzoin. My foraging teacher “Wildman” Steve Brill pointed out the bush and explained to us that it could be easily identified by the lenticels on its bark and the fragrance it emits when a branch is broken. He recommended collecting the berries in the fall to use as a potent spice. Since that time I’ve been collecting spicebush berries every fall. My favorite way to use them is to blend one or two berries into a smoothie for a spicy kick. I think the flavor is more akin to nutmeg, cardamom, or allspice than anything else.
One common mistake people make with spicebush berries is attempting to store them dried. The spicebush berry is high in fat, so it should be stored frozen to prevent the fats from turning rancid. Its high fat content is one reason why it’s a favorite food of migratory songbirds, who need that energy to fuel their migration. I’ve always admired the resilience of the common spicebush, as it’s one of the few native plants in the northeast that can compete with invasive plants in the forest understory. I grow a male and female here in my garden.
Eventually I learned that there are some uncommon varieties of the common spicebush. My favorite local nursery Broken Arrow Nursery, which specializes in rare and unusual plants, sells Lindera benzoin ‘Rubra’, a male variety with red flowerbuds. This variety was discovered on the side of the road by Dr. Brian Maynard of the University of Rhode Island. I got to meet him and take cuttings from one of his plants, but I failed to get them rooted or grafted. As it turns out, the common spicebush is very difficult to propagate.
Photo provided by Dr. Brian Maynard.
Photo provided by Dr. Brian Maynard.
Another almost-mythical form of the common spicebush is Lindera benzoin ‘Xanthocarpa’, a female form with yellow rather than red fruits. This mutation occurs randomly in wild populations, and is exceptionally difficult to find because it can only be seen when the bushes are fruiting. In the winter of 2021 I searched through all sightings of fruiting Lindera benzoin on iNaturalist and managed to find a few examples of this form. You could say that my searching “bore fruit”. Unfortunately the seeds I received from a kind iNaturalist member failed to germinate.
I’ve always thought it would be funny to grow ‘Rubra’ and ‘Xanthocarpa’ side by side. You’d have a male spicebush with red flowers that should be yellow next to a female spicebush with yellow fruits that should be red. Sadly I’ve been unable to make it happen, though I continue to try!
As the years have gone on, I’ve learned to appreciate the other non-native members of the genus Lindera as well. There are far more spicebush species in Asia than there are in North America after all. Two of my favorites are Lindera angustifolia and Lindera obtusiloba, the narrow-leaf and blunt-lobed spicebushes respectively. I always seek these plants out on my trips to botanical gardens and arboreta.
Lindera angustifolia or narrow-leaf spicebush is an East Asian species with excellent fall color and an interesting quirk. Rather than dropping its leaves in the fall, it holds onto them firmly all winter long. I’ve planted a hedge of this species along the back of my property to form a pseudo-evergreen barrier between my yard and my neighbor’s. The wind blowing through the leaves in winter makes a pleasing sound similar to a bamboo grove, without the invasive qualities.
Lindera obtusiloba or blunt-lobed spicebush is a larger tree-like species that has three-lobed leaves similar to our native Sassafras. The blunt-lobed spicebush’s most striking feature is its reliable fall color. It turns a vibrant yellow-orange every fall without fail, even in woodland settings or when conditions for fall color are poor. The Plants for a Future database says “Young leaves are fried and used as a Buddhist ceremonial dish”, but I’ve found no evidence of this. I guess I’ll have to fry some up sometime and have a taste.
Both of these Asian spicebushes have yellow flowers in the spring, similar to the common spicebush. The blunt-lobed spicebush has larger flowers in proportion to its larger overall size, while the flowers of the narrow-leaf spicebush are hidden behind its persistent leaves. The Asian spicebushes also produce a small fruit, which is decidedly less edible than the native species. On the one occasion that I ventured to taste it I was immediately punished by its terrible bitterness! As far as spicebush fruits are concerned, you could say that the fruits of the common spicebush are uncommonly delicious.