2023 Plant of the Year, Honorable Mention

An Honorable Mention was awarded to Lindera benzoin, commonly recognized as spicebush  for the leaves that are fragrant when crushed. The genus name salutes a Swedish doctor and botanist named Johann Linder. This shrub is dioecious, so one must have both male and female to produce fruit. 

An early harbinger of spring, the flowers produce a soft yellow haze in the landscape before the foliage emerges. Lindera will fade into the background during summer months only to shine again with dazzling yellow fall foliage.

Lindera attracts many birds, butterflies, bees, and flies. It is a larval host of the Eastern Tiger Swallowtail, Spicebush Swallowtail, and many more. Its fruit is high in lipids, which makes it especially valuable to migrating birds. Over twenty species of birds enjoy Lindera’s red fruit, especially during fall migration.