Northern Spicebush

Lindera benzoin

Pollinator Value

🐛 Larval Host: Papilio troilus, Papilio glaucus, Callosamia promethea, Tetracis crocallata, Apatelodes torrefacta
S13+S15 5 verified Eastern NA
❄️ Winter Food Source: Red drupes ripen late summer through fall and persist into early winter, consumed by Wood Thrush, Veery, American Robin, Hermit Thrush, Red-eyed Vireo, Eastern Kingbird, and Northern Cardinal. The high-fat fruit is especially valuable to migratory songbirds building energy reserves for fall migration.
S57 7 bird species; S10 red fruits eaten by birds; S29 high fat content eaten by migratory birds

Proximity Score: 2
Native Status: ❌ Outaouais ❌ Ottawa ❌ QC ✅ ON
Closest Direction: SE
CEC Eco-Regions: 8 – Eastern Temperate Forests, 8.1 – Mixed Wood Plains, 8.1.7 – Northeastern Coastal Zone
Rarity Notes: Globally secure (G5) and nationally secure in the US (N5), with Canadian national rank N4. In Ontario ranked S4 (Apparently Secure), concentrated in the Carolinian zone and southern Great Lakes region. Not listed under SARA or COSEWIC. Quebec has no rank as the species is not documented as native to the province.
S22 G5, N4 Canada, S4 ON; S26 not SARA listed; S1 native ON only
Rarity Ranks: ON S4 – Apparently Secure
Migration: Stable
Ecological Context: An understory shrub of rich, moist deciduous forests, floodplains, and stream margins. Typically found in beech-maple and mixed hardwood stands on fertile loamy soils with high organic matter. Associates with Fagus grandifolia, Acer saccharum, and Tilia americana in mesic bottomlands. Dioecious, requiring both sexes for fruit set.
S7 beech-maple forests and swamps; S10 moist to mesic conditions, fertile loamy soil; S61 floodplains, shores, swamps; S29 wet woods and by streams

Roles: Fortress/Barrier, Pollinator Attractor
S73/S29/S72 Evidence: Fortress/Barrier: S61 keyword match: thorns? (supporting signal only)] | Pollinator Attractor: S73 [MEDIUM]: S68 6 bee associations (threshold=3)]

Category: Diaphoretic, Febrifuge, Astringent, Stimulant, Tonic, Analgesic, Vermifuge, Emetic
S28 Cherokee/Creek/Iroquois uses; S29 PFAF lists Aromatic, Astringent, Diaphoretic, Febrifuge, Stimulant, Tonic
Notes: Widely used as a household remedy by Cherokee, Creek, Iroquois, and Chippewa peoples. Bark decoction taken as diaphoretic and febrifuge for colds, fevers, and typhoid. Creek used branch infusions and steam baths for aches and rheumatism. Iroquois used compound root decoctions as panacea and for venereal diseases. Fruit oil applied externally for bruises and rheumatism. Bark once widely used for typhoid and other fevers.
S28 30 medicinal uses across 5 nations; S29 colds, dysentery, intestinal parasites, bruises, rheumatism

✅ Edible

Foraging Notes: Young leaves and twigs make a fragrant tea, with twigs best gathered during flowering when nectar adds sweetness. Dried and powdered fruit serves as an allspice substitute. Cherokee used stems for tea and fruit to flavor opossum and groundhog. Chippewa used leaves for tea and as a spice to modify strong-flavored meats. Bark is pleasant to chew.
S29 tea from leaves/twigs, fruit as allspice substitute; S28 Cherokee and Chippewa food uses