OF THE CAROLINAS & GEORGIA

Spermatophytes (seed plants): Angiosperms (flowering plants): Magnoliids: Laurales

WEAKLEY'S FLORA OF THE SOUTHEASTERN US (4/14/23):
Lindera benzoin   FAMILY Lauraceae   Go to FSUS key



SYNONYMOUS WITH PLANTS NATIONAL DATABASE:
Lindera benzoin   FAMILY Lauraceae

SYNONYMOUS WITH Floristic Synthesis of North America. BONAP (Kartesz, 2021)

Lindera benzoin

INCLUDING Floristic Synthesis of North America (Kartesz, 1999)

Lindera benzoin var. benzoin

INCLUDING Floristic Synthesis of North America (Kartesz, 1999)

Lindera benzoin var. pubescens

SYNONYMOUS WITH Flora of North America north of Mexico, vol. 3 (1997)

Lindera benzoin

SYNONYMOUS WITH Aquatic & Wetland Plants of Southeastern US (Godfrey & Wooten, 1979 & 1981)

Lindera benzoin

SYNONYMOUS WITH VASCULAR FLORA OF THE CAROLINAS (Radford, Ahles, & Bell, 1968) 084-04-001:

Lindera benzoin   FAMILY Lauraceae

SYNONYMOUS WITH Manual of the Southeastern Flora (Small, 1933, 1938)

Benzoin aestivale

 

COMMON NAME:
Northern Spicebush, Wild Allspice


         To see larger pictures, click or hover over the thumbnails.

image of Lindera benzoin, Northern Spicebush, Wild Allspice

USDA Forest Service / A Guide to Medicinal Plants of Appalachia. 1969    mpa_page_161

        

image of Lindera benzoin, Northern Spicebush, Wild Allspice

USDA-NRCS PLANTS Database / Britton, N.L., and A. Brown. 1913    pnd_beae_001_lvd

        

image of Lindera benzoin, Northern Spicebush, Wild Allspice

USDA-NRCS PLANTS Database / USDA Wetland flora: Field office illustrated guide    pnd_libe3_002_lvd

        

image of Lindera benzoin, Northern Spicebush, Wild Allspice

Richard and Teresa Ware    rtw_l_benzoin_spicebush

February        

image of Lindera benzoin, Northern Spicebush, Wild Allspice

Jerry Bright    jeb_linderabenzion

March    McCormick County    SC

Stevens Creek Heritage Preserve

Flowers in sessile/subsessile clusters. Perianth segments 6, about 2mm long, per Vascular Flora of the Carolinas (Radford, Ahles, & Bell, 1968).


click here to see other plants that look similar to this COMPARE flowers of Sassafras and Spicebush

image of Lindera benzoin, Northern Spicebush, Wild Allspice

JK Marlow    jkm130328_488

March    Pittsylvania County    VA

Danville Riverwalk Trail

image of Lindera benzoin, Northern Spicebush, Wild Allspice

JK Marlow    jkm130328_491b

March    Pittsylvania County    VA

Danville Riverwalk Trail

image of Lindera benzoin, Northern Spicebush, Wild Allspice

JK Marlow    jkm140322_373

March    Oconee County    SC

Oconee Station/Station Cove

Bark thin, dark, smooth but with raised, conspicuous lenticels, per Woody Plants of the Southeastern US: A Winter Guide (Lance, 2004).

image of Lindera benzoin, Northern Spicebush, Wild Allspice

JK Marlow    jkm230320_1736

March    Greenville County    SC

Chestnut Ridge Heritage Preserve

image of Lindera benzoin, Northern Spicebush, Wild Allspice

JK Marlow    jkm230320_1737

March    Greenville County    SC

Chestnut Ridge Heritage Preserve

image of Lindera benzoin, Northern Spicebush, Wild Allspice

Keith Bradley    kab_lindera_benzoin_1677

March    Polk County    NC

image of Lindera benzoin, Northern Spicebush, Wild Allspice

Richard and Teresa Ware    rtw_lindera_benzoin

March        

image of Lindera benzoin, Northern Spicebush, Wild Allspice

JK Marlow    jkm0404e_11

April    Haywood County    NC

Corneille Bryan Native Garden

Yellow flowers in dense axillary umbels appear before the leaves, per Guide to the Wildflowers of SC, 1st ed. (Porcher & Rayner, 2001).

image of Lindera benzoin, Northern Spicebush, Wild Allspice

JK Marlow    jkm120424_531

April    Pickens County    SC

Jocassee Gorges

Leaves ovate in shape, decreasing in size toward the base of the twig, per Wildflowers & Plant Communities of the Southern Appalachian Mountains and Piedmont (Spira, 2011).


click here to see other plants that look similar to this COMPARE leaves of Silverbell, Spicebush and Storax

image of Lindera benzoin, Northern Spicebush, Wild Allspice

JK Marlow    jkm120424_649

April    Pickens County    SC

Jocassee Gorges

Leaves spicy-scented when crushed, per Woody Plants of the Blue Ridge (Lance).

image of Lindera benzoin, Northern Spicebush, Wild Allspice

JK Marlow    jkm160421_349

April    Sevier County    TN

Great Smoky Mountains National Park

image of Lindera benzoin, Northern Spicebush, Wild Allspice

JK Marlow    s070526_b

May    Polk County    NC

Leaf apex decidedly acuminate; margin ciliate, entire; base tapered or cuneate, per Vascular Flora of the Carolinas (Radford, Ahles, & Bell, 1968).

image of Lindera benzoin, Northern Spicebush, Wild Allspice

JK Marlow    jkm090706_003

July    Mitchell County    NC

Hedgerow

Flowers in umbellate clusters. Drupe red [when ripe], ellipsoid, per Vascular Flora of the Carolinas (Radford, Ahles, & Bell, 1968).

image of Lindera benzoin, Northern Spicebush, Wild Allspice

JK Marlow    jkm170818_702

August    Jackson County    NC

Big Ridge Preserve

Rarely does it reach this size!

image of Lindera benzoin, Northern Spicebush, Wild Allspice

JK Marlow    jkm0409e_03

September    Oconee County    SC

Oconee Station/Station Cove

When found on upland slopes, an excellent indicator of base-rich soils, per Weakley's Flora.

image of Lindera benzoin, Northern Spicebush, Wild Allspice

JK Marlow    jkm0409e_04

September    Oconee County    SC

Oconee Station/Station Cove

image of Lindera benzoin, Northern Spicebush, Wild Allspice

JK Marlow    jkm220927_0057

September    Greenville County    SC

Chestnut Ridge Heritage Preserve

image of Lindera benzoin, Northern Spicebush, Wild Allspice

Richard and Teresa Ware    rtw_lindera_benzoin_6

September        

image of Lindera benzoin, Northern Spicebush, Wild Allspice

JK Marlow    jkm121006_350

October    Washington County    VA

Virginia Creeper Trail

Fruit is a bright deep red, oblong, and fragrant when crushed, per Native Shrubs and Woody Vines of the Southeast (Foote & Jones, 1989).


click here to see other plants that look similar to this COMPARE fruit of Lauraceae family

image of Lindera benzoin, Northern Spicebush, Wild Allspice

JK Marlow    jkm0511d_21

November    Jackson County    NC

Roadside

image of Lindera benzoin, Northern Spicebush, Wild Allspice

JK Marlow    s051106_k

November    Jackson County    NC

Roadside

 

 

WEAKLEY'S FLORA OF THE SOUTHEASTERN US (4/14/23):
Lindera benzoin   FAMILY Lauraceae

SYNONYMOUS WITH PLANTS NATIONAL DATABASE:
Lindera benzoin   FAMILY Lauraceae

SYNONYMOUS WITH Floristic Synthesis of North America. BONAP (Kartesz, 2021)
Lindera benzoin

INCLUDING Floristic Synthesis of North America (Kartesz, 1999)
Lindera benzoin var. benzoin

INCLUDING Floristic Synthesis of North America (Kartesz, 1999)
Lindera benzoin var. pubescens

SYNONYMOUS WITH Flora of North America north of Mexico, vol. 3
Lindera benzoin

SYNONYMOUS WITH Aquatic & Wetland Plants of Southeastern US (Godfrey & Wooten, 1979 & 1981)
Lindera benzoin

SYNONYMOUS WITH VASCULAR FLORA OF THE CAROLINAS (Radford, Ahles, & Bell, 1968) 084-04-001:
Lindera benzoin   FAMILY Lauraceae

SYNONYMOUS WITH Manual of the Southeastern Flora (Small, 1933, 1938)
Benzoin aestivale

 

Find by SCIENTIFIC NAME:

843

Shrub; Tree
Perennial
Dioecious or polygamo-dioecious

Habitat: Rich alluvial forests, mesic forests on slopes with circumneutral soils, bottomlands, swamps, per Weakley's Flora

Native to the Carolinas & Georgia

Common (uncommon in GA Coastal Plain)

map
CLICK HERE to see a map, notes, and images from Weakley's Flora of the Southeastern US.

LEAVES:
Deciduous
Simple
Alternate

FLOWER:
Spring
Yellow
Radially symmetrical
3-merous
6 deciduous tepals
9 fertile stamens on staminate flowers
Superior ovary

FRUIT:
Summer/Fall
Red
Drupe

 

TO LEARN MORE about this plant, look it up in a good book!



 


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