Spicebush Live Tree – Lindera Benzoin – 10-14″ Tall – 1 Quart Pot – Outdoor Shrub

Overview

Transform your garden into a vibrant wildlife haven with the addition of a spicebush live tree. This captivating shrub, scientifically known as Lindera benzoin, is a true gem of Eastern North American woodlands. Renowned for its distinctive aromatic leaves, delicate yellow blooms in early spring, and brilliant red berries in the fall, the spicebush live tree offers year-round interest and ecological value. It’s a deciduous shrub that not only adds beauty but also supports local ecosystems by providing food and habitat for various creatures, including the iconic spicebush swallowtail butterfly. Our Lindera benzoin plant comes ready for planting, carefully nurtured to ensure a healthy start in your landscape. This native plant is an excellent choice for gardeners looking to create a sustainable and biodiverse outdoor space. Its adaptability to various light conditions and soil types makes it a versatile option for many garden designs, from formal beds to naturalized woodland settings. Embrace the charm and ecological benefits of this remarkable native shrub, which serves as an excellent wildlife garden plant.

Key Benefits

The spicebush live tree offers a multitude of advantages for any garden, making it a highly desirable plant for both its aesthetic appeal and ecological contributions. Its unique characteristics provide significant benefits:

• Attracts Pollinators and Wildlife: This plant is a magnet for native bees, butterflies (especially the spicebush swallowtail), and birds, which feast on its bright red berries in autumn. Planting a Lindera benzoin plant directly supports local biodiversity and helps create a thriving habitat.
• Aromatic Foliage and Blooms: Enjoy the delightful, spicy fragrance released from the leaves and twigs when bruised. In early spring, before leaves emerge, it produces charming clusters of tiny yellow flowers, signaling the arrival of warmer weather. This characteristic makes it a truly unique aromatic native shrub.
• Native and Low Maintenance: As an aromatic native shrub, it is well-adapted to the local climate and soil conditions of Eastern North America, requiring less care and resources once established compared to non-native plants. This makes it an ideal choice for sustainable gardening.
• Seasonal Interest: From vibrant yellow blooms in spring, lush green leaves in summer, bright red berries in fall, to an attractive branching structure in winter, the yellow blooming spicebush provides visual appeal throughout the seasons, ensuring continuous garden beauty.
• Versatile Landscaping Use: Ideal for wildlife gardens, native plant landscaping, shady borders, and understory planting. Its natural form and moderate size make it suitable for various garden designs, making it a truly versatile wildlife garden plant.
• Tolerant and Hardy: Hardy in USDA zones 4-9, it tolerates a range of soil types and light conditions, from partial shade to full sun (with adequate moisture), making it a forgiving choice for many gardeners.
• Erosion Control: Its fibrous root system can help stabilize soil on slopes and along stream banks, contributing to healthier ecosystems and preventing soil loss.

Plant Care & Growing Tips

Caring for your spicebush live tree is relatively straightforward, especially once it’s established, making it a rewarding addition to your garden. This resilient plant thrives when given the right conditions. For optimal growth, plant your spicebush in spring or fall when temperatures are mild. Dig a hole twice as wide as the root ball and just as deep, ensuring the top of the root ball is level with the soil surface. Backfill with native soil, gently firming it around the roots, and water thoroughly to settle the soil. The Lindera benzoin plant prefers partial shade but can tolerate full sun if provided with consistently moist soil. In hotter climates, more afternoon shade is beneficial to prevent leaf scorch. It thrives in moist, well-drained, loamy soil with a pH between 5.5 and 7.0. It’s quite tolerant and can also grow well in clay and rich woodland soils. Avoid excessively dry or waterlogged conditions. During its first growing season, ensure regular watering to help the plant establish a strong root system. Once mature, the aromatic native shrub is moderately drought-tolerant but will perform best with consistent moisture, especially during dry spells. Generally, spicebush does not require heavy fertilization. A light application of a balanced, slow-release granular fertilizer in early spring can be beneficial, especially in nutrient-poor soils. Prune in late winter or early spring to remove any dead, damaged, or crossing branches. You can also prune to maintain shape or size, though it naturally maintains an attractive form. This wildlife garden plant is generally pest and disease resistant, offering hassle-free enjoyment.

Size & Details

Our spicebush live tree is supplied as a thriving young plant, typically measuring 10-14 inches in height and grown in a 1 quart pot. This size is ideal for transplanting, allowing the plant to quickly establish itself in your garden. The plant will arrive with a healthy root system, ready to be integrated into your landscape. Spicebush is a moderately growing deciduous shrub that can reach a mature height and spread of 6-12 feet, forming a rounded, multi-stemmed bush. Its growth rate is generally medium, adding about 12-24 inches per year under ideal conditions. The yellow blooming spicebush will begin producing its charming flowers in early spring, followed by bright red berries in late summer to early fall, providing continuous interest. This plant is shipped in its nursery pot to minimize transplant shock and ensure a smooth transition to its new home, ready to flourish as a mature Lindera benzoin plant.

Frequently Asked Questions

• Q: How big will my spicebush live tree get? A: A spicebush live tree typically grows to a mature height and width of 6 to 12 feet. Its size can be influenced by growing conditions and pruning, but it generally maintains a rounded, bushy form, making it a substantial aromatic native shrub for your landscape.
• Q: Is this an indoor or outdoor plant? A: The Lindera benzoin plant is an outdoor deciduous shrub, native to woodlands. It is not suitable for long-term indoor cultivation and requires outdoor conditions to thrive and complete its life cycle.
• Q: How much sunlight does the spicebush need? A: Spicebush prefers partial shade, meaning 3-6 hours of direct sunlight per day, often with protection from harsh afternoon sun. It can tolerate full sun if the soil remains consistently moist.
• Q: Is this plant easy to care for? A: Yes, the aromatic native shrub is considered relatively easy to care for, especially once established. It’s quite adaptable to various soil types and light conditions, requiring minimal intervention to thrive as a wildlife garden plant.
• Q: What condition will it arrive in? A: Your spicebush live tree will arrive as a healthy, actively growing plant in a 1 quart nursery pot, carefully packaged to ensure its safety during transit. It will be ready for immediate planting upon arrival.
• Q: When is the best time to plant a spicebush? A: The best times to plant your yellow blooming spicebush are in the spring after the last frost or in the early fall, allowing the plant sufficient time to establish its root system before extreme temperatures.
• Q: Will it survive winter in my zone? A: This wildlife garden plant is hardy in USDA zones 4-9, meaning it is well-equipped to survive winter in these temperate climates. It is deciduous, so it will lose its leaves in colder months.
• Q: What kind of soil does spicebush prefer? A: Spicebush thrives in moist, well-drained, loamy soil with a slightly acidic to neutral pH (5.5-7.0). It tolerates clay and rich woodland soils well, making the Lindera benzoin plant adaptable.
• Q: Does it have any fragrance? A: Yes, the leaves and twigs of the spicebush live tree release a distinct, spicy aroma when bruised or crushed, which is one of its notable characteristics.
• Q: What wildlife does it attract? A: It primarily attracts spicebush swallowtail butterflies as a host plant for their larvae, various other pollinators for its flowers, and birds who feed on its bright red berries in the fall, making it an excellent wildlife garden plant.