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Northern Spicebush

Lindera benzoin

Found in rich alluvial forests, moist forests on slopes with circumneutral soils, bottomlands, swamps. Weakley, Flora of the Southeastern United States (2025), South Central edition What its natural habitat tells you

65
Strong

Native to Alabama. How scores work Is it native here?

Profile 100%

Height
8–15 feet
Spread
6–15 feet
Light
Partial shade
Soil moisture
Somewhat dry to moist

Space about 10.5 ft apart from its recorded spread. Enter your bed size for a count

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At a glance

Life cycle
Woody perennial
Leaves
Deciduous
Bloom
March to April
Fruiting season
August to September

Recorded in 52 Alabama counties.

Natural habitats

Places it grows wild. Not a planting requirement. Each habitat page lists the plants and wildlife also found there.

1 of 3

Swamps

Loblolly bay in a coastal swamp
Regional / representative. Shown: Southern coastal swamps, Florida to Virginia; state not identified, a neighboring state.Loblolly bay in a coastal swamp, Marian Ellis Rowan, 1901. Public domain. Source record.

Floodplain and bottomland forests

Forests on low ground beside rivers and streams that flood from time to time.

Moist forests

Forests on moist but not wet ground, such as rich slopes and ravines.

All habitats

Also found with this plant

Wildlife whose habitat models include habitats this plant grows in, in Alabama. Shared habitat, not food. 148 animals.

All wildlife of Alabama

Ecological relationships

Who uses this plant?

What these records mean

15CaterpillarsGenus host records with ranges including AL

Genus host records with ranges including AL · Lindera

  • Callosamia prometheaPromethea Moth
  • Papilio troilusSpicebush Swallowtail
  • Acharia stimuleaSaddleback Caterpillar Moth
  • Amorbia humerosanaWhite-Lined Leafroller Moth
  • Antheraea polyphemusPolyphemus Moth
  • Apatelodes torrefactaSpotted Apatelodes
  • Eacles imperialisImperial Moth, Imperial Spiny Caterpillar
  • Emmelina monodactylaMorning-Glory Plume Moth
  • Epimecis hortariaTulip-Tree Beauty
  • Morrisonia confusaConfused Woodgrain
Show all 15
  • Papilio glaucusEastern Tiger Swallowtail
  • Papilio palamedesPalamedes Swallowtail
  • Parasa chlorisSmaller Parasa, Green Slug Moth
  • Phaecasiophora confixanaMacramé Moth
  • Tetracis crocallataYellow Slant-Line
Shropshire & Tallamy 2025, Lepidoptera of North America north of Mexico, ZooKeys 1261 (ODbL)
1BeesSoutheastern regional records

Southeastern regional records · Lindera

Individual names are not available yet.

Noori, Seltmann & Orr 2026, A curated and integrated dataset for exploring global bee-plant interactions (GloBI), Zenodo, CC BY 4.0
0Specialist beesPollen specialists
7BirdsRecorded genus food-resource interactions; not a state feeding claim

Recorded genus food-resource interactions; not a state feeding claim · Lindera

  • Cardinalis cardinalisNorthern Cardinal
  • Hylocichla mustelinaWood Thrush
  • Catharus fuscescensVeery
  • Catharus guttatusHermit Thrush
  • Turdus migratoriusAmerican Robin
  • Tyrannus tyrannusEastern Kingbird
  • Vireo olivaceusRed-eyed Vireo
Hurlbert, Olsen, Sawyer & Winner 2021, Avian Diet Database, Scientific Data 8: 260 (CC0)

Direct food only: birds recorded eating this genus across North America. Caterpillars on host plants also feed nesting birds. NC Native Plant Society: butterfly gardening

No records yet · Ants · Beetles · Flies · Adult butterflies / moths · Other wasps · Other insects

Growing and identification

Plant details

Family
Lauraceae
Hardiness
Zones 5a–9b
Flower color
Yellow or green
Growth rate
Slow
Growth habit
Several stems
Foliage color
Green
Fruit begins
August
Fruit ends
September

Flowering timing. Species profile reports March–April, before leaf-out; timing varies with location and year. Source

Safety has not been reviewed for this plant; check toxicity and thorns before planting.

Growing sources and scope
Also known as

Spicebush

Conservation status

Alabama rankSNR
Global rankG5
AL statusNot verified
Federal statusNot verified

Conservation source Global and federal source

In your garden

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Sources