Spicebush

The fruit of the spicebush (Lindera benzoin) are as distinctive in flavor and aroma as they are in appearance.  Photo by Jenna Crovo, used with permission.

      A little over a week ago, I was doing some fish collecting on the Paint Rock River (North of Huntsville, AL).  Fortunately, we found some rare blotchside log perch, but that is not the topic of this post.  Instead I would like to focus on the not-so-rare, but very useful, spicebush (Lindera benzoin).  I didn't notice it on my previous trips to the area, but now that the bush is fruiting it is very easy to spot.  Before you go out searching riverbanks and creek edges, you probably want to know what you can use spicebush for*.  Well, read on, because it has multiple uses.

      First, I'll talk about the fruit.  People often refer to them as berries, but they are technically drupes (a fleshy fruit with a pit, such as a peach).  I'm emphasizing this distinction, not to be a stuck up biologist, but because distinctions such as this are very useful in positively identifying plants, and positively identifying a plant before you use it is very important.  If you want to learn more of these terms, check out Plant Identification Terminology: An Illustrated Guide (Harris and Harris 2001).  Anyway, the red drupes are about 1 cm long and just started ripening in Northern Alabama.  From what I have read, they should be available into the fall. The drupes have a spicy, peppery flavor and aroma.  They can be used as a substitute for allspice, hence an alternative common name for the plant, wild allspice.  My Peterson guide says the fruits can be dried, but some say that due to the high oil content (which can lead to spoiling) they should be frozen instead.  I don't use allspice very much, but if you read my blog last fall, you know I use it in both my pumpkin and holiday ales.  I might try to make a more "wild" version with the spicebush drupes.  If I do, it won't be until later in the year, but I'll let you know how it turns out.
      The drupes aren't the only useful part of this plant.  According to the Peterson's Guide, the leaves can also be used to make a delightful tea.  Personally, it is way too hot for tea right now, but I'll dry some leaves and try them later.  If you are thinking about gathering some leaves yourself, I'd recommend searching now.  Spicebush is very easy to spot this time of year, thanks to the bright red drupes.  Just look in moist places that still receive moderate sunlight.  Roadsides, creek edges and river banks are good places to look, with the latter two probably being better.  I can't say I've never gathered herbs from roadsides, but you always have to wonder how "clean" the roadside plants are.


*Note:  It is your responsibility to correctly identify any plant or fungi that you plan on eating.  Consult a local expert and/or an accurate field guide.  Do not eat any wild plant or fungus unless you are 100% sure of its identity.

References

Harris, James G., Harris Melinda Woolf., Plant Identification Terminology: An Illustrated Glossary.      

Second Edition.  Spring Lake Publishing, Spring Lake Utah. 2001.

Peterson, Lee A., Peterson's Field Guides: Edible Wild Plants. 224. Houghton Mifflin Company, New York, New York, 1977.