spicebush Lauraceae Lindera benzoin

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:Species is 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.

leaf flower fruit twig bark form map

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