Spice Bush Seeds

(Lindera benzoin) deciduous. Zones 4-8.

Anyone who loves a well stocked spice cupboard will want this incredible plant in their garden. Every part of the Spicebush is intensely aromatic! 

The leaves have a spicy fragrance when crushed and can be used fresh in hot or iced tea. The twigs can be simmered in water for a warming tea year round. 

In Fall, the berries can be collected and dried to use as a culinary spice, which can be used in place of allspice in sweet and savory dishes - it makes a scrumptious spice cake! The peppery taste of Spicebush berries is also fabulous in meat rubs and marinades. 

Don’t waste any time gathering the bright red berries - birds quickly snap up this high-fat food source! Spicebush attracts interesting visitors in summer, too, such as the larva of the spicebush swallowtail butterfly, which feeds on the leaves. 

Spicebush is a lovely, native woodland shrub that works well in a border, at the edge of a forest, or in naturalized areas. It prefers moist locations in part to full sun. It grows to ten feet with pretty, teardrop shaped leaves. Clusters of tiny, perfumed, greenish-yellow flowers bloom along the branches in early Spring before foliage appears. These flowers give way to bright red drupes in fall, while the leaves turn a yellow-bronze hue. 

Female plants need a male pollinator to set fruit. Male shrubs have larger, showier flowers than female ones.

 **60-80% germination**

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GROWING INSTRUCTIONS

- Soak Seeds 24 hrs. Follow with 120 days cold, moist stratification. For more information on stratification, check out our article "How To Start Your Tree Seeds".

*If you are doing the cold period in your fridge, please check on your seeds. 120 days is an estimate & they may sprout sooner.*

- Plant stratified seeds in pots or a nursery bed using standard potting soil. Heat mats are NOT required & can hinder germination!

- Protect young tree seedlings from slugs, cutworms & rodents. Slugs especially can eat primary leaves as soon as they come up, so be vigilant! 

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You will be 100% satisfied with the quality of our Spicebush seeds, especially if grown in an organic garden. 

Available direct from Incredible Seeds, a Canadian Heirloom and Heritage Seed Company, offering only the best natural, non-GMO, open pollinated and untreated seeds, located in Nova Scotia, Canada.