spicebush Lauraceae Lindera benzoin (L.) Blume   symbol: LIBE3
	Leaf: Alternate, simple, elliptical, 3 to 5 inches long, pinnately veined, entire margin that may be somewhat ciliate, strong, spicy odor when crushed, green above and slightly paler below. Flower: Dioecious; small, but due to large numbers they can be showy, yellow, appearing in axillary clusters before the leaves in early spring. Fruit: A bright red drupe when ripe (green before ripening), 3/8 inch long with a large seed and a peppery taste and scent, maturing in fall. Twig: Slender, olive-green to brown in color, numerous light lenticels, with distinctive, stalked globose buds covered with 2 to 3 yellow-green to brown scales; when broken, a spicy, peppery smell is obvious. Bark: Brown to gray-brown and speckled with light colored lenticels. Form: A large shrub with several stems, usually rounded in outline up to 15 feet tall.
	No range map exists for this species. See a map of the states in which Lindera benzoin can be found (opens a new window). USDA Plants Database Lindera benzoin is native to North America.