Spice
Bush or Spicebush (Lindera benzoin)
Flowering Trees, Bushes and Shrubs of Sleepy Hollow Lake
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Spice Bush or Spicebush (Lindera benzoin)
Table of Contents
(Spice Bush (Lindera benzoin) - 01)
In early spring, before the leaves open, the tiny greenish yellow spice bush flowers
bloom. The clinging vine to the right of the photo is not part of the spice bush.
(Spice Bush (Lindera benzoin) - 01a)
This is a close up of a spice bush flower cluster surrounding a leaf bud.
(Spice Bush (Lindera benzoin) - 02)
This is another cluster of early spring spice bush flowers. Some of these
flowers have not yet fully opened. The spice bush is a native North American plant.
(Spice Bush (Lindera benzoin) - 02a)
In this photo we have a bee's eye view of some of the spice bush's tiny 1/8 inch
diameter flowers. We have not found anything in the literature describing
the flower details. They each appear to have six petals, six stamens, and
one pistil, but we cannot be positive.
(Spice Bush (Lindera benzoin) - 03)
In this photo we can see some of the interesting things we have observed about
the spice bush. The terminal ends of the branches do not seem to develop
and flowers around the new leaf buds as they do farther down the branch.
The bark of the spice bush has tiny whitish "nodes" or "scales".
(Spice Bush (Lindera benzoin) - 04)
Even before the red leaf bud of the spice bush begins to open, the tiny greenish
yellow flowers are opening.
(Spice Bush (Lindera benzoin) - 04a)
In this photo we have a closer look at the unopened spice bush leaf bud and the
just opening flower buds.
(Spice Bush (Lindera benzoin) - 05)
Several flower clusters have sprouted from this spice bush branch.
(Spice Bush (Lindera benzoin) - 05a)
In this photo, we can observe that there are a few spice bush flowers contained
within the bracts of one bud.
(Spice Bush (Lindera benzoin) - 06)
This is a large cluster of spice bush flowers.
(Spice Bush (Lindera benzoin) - 06a)
This is another bee's eye view of some of the tiny spice bush flowers. The
seemingly infinite detail and beauty in God's creation fills us with a sense of wonderment.
(Spice Bush (Lindera benzoin) - 07)
This is another cluster of spice bush flowers that are growing on a branch.
(Spice Bush (Lindera benzoin) - 08)
The spice bush has been referred to as an "understory" plant, which means that
this bush usually grows under other larger bushes and trees. We're not
sure whether this is because the spice bush rarely grows to heights over 6 feet,
and it gets overshadowed by other plants, or that the spice bush will not grow in full sunlight.
(Spice Bush (Lindera benzoin) - 08a)
This is a side view of one of the spice bush flowers.
(Spice Bush (Lindera benzoin) - 08b)
This is another side view of some of the spice bush tiny flowers. What
appears to be only one small flower growing on the branch of the spice bush, is
really a cluster of many tiny flowers.
(Spice Bush (Lindera benzoin) - 09)
This is another cluster of spice bush flowers. One of our references says
that these flowers attract birds, which we have not be able to confirm with our own observations.
(Spice Bush (Lindera benzoin) - 09a)
This is another close up view of some the tiny spice bush flowers.
(Spice Bush (Lindera benzoin) - 09b)
This is another close up side view of some of the tiny spice bush flowers.
(Spice Bush (Lindera benzoin) - 10)
Unlike trees that usually have only one trunk, bushes, such as the spice bush,
usually have more than one trunk. The simple pointed oval shaped leaves of
the spice bush usually grow to lengths of 3 to 5 inches. The clusters of
three toothed leaves in the lower right of the photo are on a wild raspberry.
(Spice Bush (Lindera benzoin) - 10a)
The entire spice bush branch in the foreground is new growth, which can easily
be identified by its green color, as compared to the nearly black color of the
older branched and trunks. The leaves grow alternately along the branch.
This branch is still growing, as can be seen by the new sprouting leaves on the
end of the branch.
(Spice Bush (Lindera benzoin) - 10b)
This is an end view of a new-growth spice bush branch. The spice bush is
an important host plant for butterflies of the swallowtail family, particularly
the spicebush swallowtail and the eastern tiger swallowtail.
(Spice Bush (Lindera benzoin) - 11)
This is a young spice bush which has several trunks and very few branches.
From the greenish ends on the trunks, we can distinguish the new growth areas.
White-tailed deer often browse on the leaves and new growth twigs of the spice bush.
(Spice Bush (Lindera benzoin) - 12)
The end of this spice bush branch is not developing new terminal growth, because
the end of the branch has been broken or been bitten off by a browsing deer.
However, new growth does seem to be developing from the node at the end of the broken branch.
(Spice Bush (Lindera benzoin) - 13)
We took this photo of the spice bush with a lighted background to highlight some
of the flower details, such as the semi-transparent bulb at the end of the stamens.
(Spice Bush (Lindera benzoin) - 13a)
In this close up photo of the spice bush flowers, we have a better look at the
semi-transparent bulb structures we referred to in the previous photo.
(Spice Bush (Lindera benzoin) - 14)
This is another cluster of spice bush flowers.
(Spice Bush (Lindera benzoin) - 15)
This is another look at the clusters of spice bush flowers.
(Spice Bush (Lindera benzoin) - 15a)
This is a bee's eye view of one of the tiny spice bush flowers.
(Spice Bush (Lindera benzoin) - 16)
This is another spice bush flower cluster, and a sprouting leaf.
(Spice Bush (Lindera benzoin) - 16a)
This is another bee's eye view of a tiny spice bush flower which clearly shows
the semi-transparent nature of many of its components. When we realize
that the actual size of this flower is only 1/8 of an inch, we marvel at God
intricately detailed creation.
(Spice Bush (Lindera benzoin) - 17)
This is another look at a spice bush flower cluster.
(Spice Bush (Lindera benzoin) - 18)
And more clusters of spice bush flowers...
(Spice Bush (Lindera benzoin) - 19)
In the Fall of the year, the spice bush leaves change from green to a bright
yellow, as this bush is doing.
(Spice Bush (Lindera benzoin) - 20)
This is another look at a cluster of spicebush flowers. The flowers have a
delicate perfume, which is in sharp contract to the strong spicy odor of the crushed leaves.
(Spice Bush (Lindera benzoin) - 20a)
In this bee's eye look at a single 1/8 inch diameter spice bush flower, we can
see the six petals and six stamens projecting out over the petals.
(Spice Bush (Lindera benzoin) - 21)
This cluster of spice bush flowers is just beginning to open.
(Spice Bush (Lindera benzoin) - 21a)
This is a closer look at the cluster of newly opening spice bush flowers.
(Spice Bush (Lindera benzoin) - 22)
From the buds on this spicebush, and the lack of foliage, it is easy to see the
low spreading nature of some spice bushes, which we believe is due to
competition from other plants growing around it. Where there is not this
competition for space, the spicebush is much more upright.
(Spice Bush (Lindera benzoin) - 23)
This is another look at this early spring spreading spicebush.
(Spice Bush (Lindera benzoin) - 23a)
This is a closer look at the way this spicebush's numerous branches spread out
from the main stalk or trunk. This is particularly evident in the lower part of the photo.
Return to: Flowering Trees and Shrubs of Sleepy Hollow Lake
Return to: Art and Photos
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