Lindera benzoin

Lindera benzoin is a North American cousin of our bay laurel, and the famous camphor tree, that we are not used to seeing in gardens. Rare in cultivation, this sturdy bush is nevertheless perfectly hardy and can be grown in most regions. Its assets are beautiful glossy and aromatic foliage that takes on superb autumn colours, early spring flowering with pale yellow flowers on branches that are still without leaves, and beautiful fruiting with bright red berries on female plants when planted near a male plant. It will find a place in a large informal hedge or at the back of a flower bed, preferably in a semi-shaded position, in any good garden soil.

Lindera benzoin, also known as Spicebush, belongs to the Laurel family and comes from the wooded and humid regions of the East Coast of the United States. Standing 3 to 4 metres (9 feet 10 inches to 13 feet 1 inches) high and about 3 metres (9 feet 10 inches) wide, this deciduous shrub has a wide, rounded and bushy habit that gives it a strong presence in the garden. It grows rapidly.

The flowering of this laurel takes place very early in spring before the leaves appear. In this dioecious species, male and female flowers are borne by separate individuals. Dense and round clusters composed of tiny pale yellowish-green flowers appear on the young tender green branches, so many that in the United States, the shrub is sometimes called 'Forest Forsythia'. On female plants in the presence of male plants, the flowering is followed by the formation of small fruits that turn bright red when ripe in autumn. The deciduous leaves of the Lindera, ovate and ending in a point, are arranged alternately on the branches; they are large, measuring up to 15 cm (5.9 in) long and 6 cm (2.4 in) wide, medium green and glossy on the upper surface, lighter underneath. In autumn, they take on beautiful golden-yellow to orange hues. In this plant, the bark, leaves, and fruits are aromatic.

The spicebush is not a spectacular shrub, but it easily finds a place in a garden that leaves room for nature. Plant it in a large shrub bed or within an informal or mixed hedge: it will announce the return of spring in the slightly shaded areas of the garden and will participate in the great autumn celebration with deciduous euonymus, certain viburnums (Viburnum odoratissimum, Viburnum sargentii), small maple trees (Acer ginnala Bailey Compact ®, Acer AMPLE SURPRISE), the rowans (Sorbus randaiensis), etc.

Properties:

Just like the camphor tree, this highly aromatic plant provides three fragrant essences with different properties and scents depending on the part of the plant from which they are extracted: the first, from the bark, is similar to the essential oils of Wintergreen and Birch. The second, from the fruit stones, is comparable to camphor. The third, extracted from the leaves, is similar to lavender.