Lindera benzoin

Lindera benzoin
Lindera benzoin
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae
(unranked): Angiosperms
(unranked): Magnoliids
Order: Laurales
Family: Lauraceae
Genus: Lindera
Species: L. benzoin
Binomial name
Lindera benzoin
L.
Synonyms

Benzoin aestivale


Lindera benzoin (wild allspice,[citation needed] spicebush,[1] common spicebush,[2] northern spicebush[3] or Benjamin bush[1]) is a flowering plant in the family Lauraceae, native to eastern North America, ranging from Maine to Ontario in the north, and to Kansas, Texas and northern Florida in the south.

Contents

Characteristics

Spicebush is a medium-sized deciduous shrub growing to 5 m tall, typically found only in the understory of moist thickets. The leaves are alternate, simple, 6–15 cm long and 2–6 cm broad, oval or obovate and broadest beyond the middle of the leaf. They are very aromatic when crushed, hence the common names and the specific epithet "benzoin." The flowers grow in showy yellow clusters that appear in early spring, before the leaves begin to grow. The fruit is a berrylike red drupe about 1 cm long and is highly prized by birds. It has a peppery taste and scent, and contains a large seed. Spicebush is dioecious (plants are either male or female), so that both sexes are needed in the garden if one wants berries with viable seed.


L. benzoin showing berries and leaves

Spicebush is a favorite food plant of two handsome lepidopterous insects: the spicebush swallowtail Papilio troilus, and the promethea silkmoth, Callosamia promethea. The larvae of the spicebush swallowtail are easily found inside leaves that have been folded over by the application of silk; small larvae are brown, resembling bird droppings, mature larvae are green, with eyespots resembling the head of a snake. Since there are typically several broods (generations) of spicebush swallowtails each year, spicebush is a useful plant for the butterfly garden, since the egglaying females are strongly attracted to it. Promethea moth cocoons, if present, can be found in the winter, resembling dead leaves still hanging from the twigs. Neither of these insects is ever present in sufficient quantities to defoliate a spicebush of medium to large size, although very small specimens may suffer even from a single caterpillar.

A young bush

Related or potentially confused species

Other species in the Lindera genus also have common names containing the word "spicebush". Calycanthus (sweetshrub, spicebush) is in a different family within the Laurales.

References

  1. ^ a b Flora of North America: Lindera benzoin
  2. ^ Peterson, Lee Allen (1977). Edible Wild Plants. Houghton Mifflin Company. pp. 208. 
  3. ^ Lindera benzoin at USDA PLANTS

External links


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Look at other dictionaries:

  • Lindera benzoin — Benzoin Ben*zoin (b[e^]n*zoin ), n. [Cf. F. benjoin, Sp. benjui, Pg. beijoin; all fr. Ar. lub[=a]n j[=a]w[=i] incense form Sumatra (named Java in Arabic), the first syllable being lost. Cf. {Benjamin}.] Note: [Called also {benjamin}.] 1. A… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Lindera benzoin — Lindera benzoin …   Wikipédia en Français

  • Lindera benzoin — kvapioji lindera statusas T sritis vardynas apibrėžtis Lauramedinių šeimos dekoratyvinis, prieskoninis, vaistinis augalas (Lindera benzoin), paplitęs Šiaurės Amerikoje. atitikmenys: lot. Benzoin aestivale; Laurus aestivalis; Laurus benzoin;… …   Lithuanian dictionary (lietuvių žodynas)

  • Lindera Benzoin — Spicewood Spice wood , n. (Bot.) An American shrub ({Lindera Benzoin}), the bark of which has a spicy taste and odor; called also {Benjamin}, {wild allspice}, and {fever bush}. [1913 Webster] …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Lindera benzoin — Allspice All spice , n. The berry of the pimento ({Eugenia pimenta}), a tree of the West Indies; a spice of a mildly pungent taste, and agreeably aromatic; Jamaica pepper; pimento. It has been supposed to combine the flavor of cinnamon, nutmegs,… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Lindera benzoin — noun deciduous shrub of the eastern United States having highly aromatic leaves and bark and yellow flowers followed by scarlet or yellow berries • Syn: ↑spicebush, ↑spice bush, ↑American spicebush, ↑Benjamin bush, ↑Benzoin odoriferum • Hypernyms …   Useful english dictionary

  • Lindera benzoin — ID 47849 Symbol Key LIBE3 Common Name northern spicebush Family Lauraceae Category Dicot Division Magnoliophyta US Nativity Native to U.S. US/NA Plant Yes State Distribution AL, AR, CT, DC, DE, FL, GA, IA, IL, IN, KS, KY, LA, MA, MD, ME, MI, MO,… …   USDA Plant Characteristics

  • Lindera benzoin var. benzoin — ID 47850 Symbol Key LIBEB Common Name northern spicebush Family Lauraceae Category Dicot Division Magnoliophyta US Nativity Native to U.S. US/NA Plant Yes State Distribution AR, CT, DC, DE, GA, IL, IN, KS, KY, MA, MD, ME, MI, MO, NC, NH, NJ, NY,… …   USDA Plant Characteristics

  • Lindera benzoin var. pubescens — ID 47852 Symbol Key LIBEP Common Name northern spicebush Family Lauraceae Category Dicot Division Magnoliophyta US Nativity Native to U.S. US/NA Plant Yes State Distribution AL, AR, DE, FL, GA, IA, IL, IN, KS, KY, LA, MD, MI, MO, MS, NC, NJ, OH,… …   USDA Plant Characteristics

  • Lindera benzoin (L.) Blume var. benzoin — Symbol LIBEB Common Name northern spicebush Botanical Family Lauraceae …   Scientific plant list

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