A large shrub, as wide as it is tall, Spicebush stands out among the flora in early spring and again in the fall.
 
    By early April, its clusters of yellow flowers bloom along leafless stems, a spark of color among all but perhaps the Red Maples still donning their winter gray.
 
     In summer the blue-green leaves cover the shrub and emit a spicy, musky odor when crushed. 
 
     By fall, those leaves turn a brilliant yellow, signaling the emergence of bright red fruits on the females and beloved by birds.  Male plants have slightly larger flowers, and one of each is needed for fruit.  The berries are edible, as are the leaves and twigs.
 
     Spicebush also is larval host to the Spicebush Swallowtail, Eastern Tiger Swallowtail and other butterfly and moth species.  
 
     Spicebush grows naturally in low woods, wooded swamps and along ponds and streams, and it makes a pleasant, graceful shrub for shady, moist areas.
 
     Fun fact: Spicebush also is known as "forsythia of the wilds" because of its early spring flowers.