Northern Spicebush (Lindera benzoin)

Family: Lauraceae | Edibility: Edible (3/5)

Aromatic native understory shrub blooming in early spring with yellow flowers and autumn scarlet drupes packed with spicy, allspice-and-tangerine essential oils.

Edible Parts & Harvest Seasons

Edible Parts: Berries, Leaves, Bark/Inner Bark, Flowers

Harvest Seasons: Early Summer, Fall, Late Summer, Spring, Winter

Flavor & Culinary Uses

Warm, spicy, citrusy, and resinous blend of allspice, black pepper, and sweet orange peel. — Ripe red berries dried and ground into an extraordinary North American wild allspice; Spring twigs and leaves steeped as aromatic digestive spicebush tea; Ground berries used as dry rub for roasted game meats and root vegetables; Leaves added like bay leaves to stews and broths

Habitat & North American Range

Rich moist woods, damp bottomlands, stream edges, and shaded limestone ravines. (Zone 4, Zone 5, Zone 6, Zone 7, Zone 8, Zone 9)