The Northern Spicebush’s namesake is its signature spicy scent. It blooms in colors of white, yellow, and green. It tends to have few stems and flowers in clusters.
The spicebush’s berries, along with its twigs, bark, and leaves are used in essential oil manufacturing. It’s also used in many baking recipes. The twigs specifically are boiled and turned into teas or latte flavoring.
The Spicebush is native to eastern North America. Unfortunately it displays the characteristics of an invasive plant as it takes over areas. These large areas full of the Spicebush are great for the Spicebush Swallowtail however.
The Spicebush Swallowtail has been named after the spicebush it normally lives around. The Spicebush Swallowtail does have its own quirks. They only live for around a month. They range from three point eight to four point eight inches of wingspan.
They’re beautiful with black to blue ombre wings. They also have small dots around the outer part of their wings that are often a white or light blue color. They also use mimicry to avoid predators, they mimic poisonous butterflies like the Pipevine Swallowtail.
RELATED STORIES:
- Species Spotlight: Spicebush Swallowtail Butterfly | by Mohonk Preserve.
- The Spicebush Swallowtail Butterfly, Its Host Plants, and the New Threat They Face – Virginia Native Plant Society.
- Lindera benzoin (Northern Spicebush, Spicebush, Spice Bush) | North Carolina Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox
- Spicebush Swallowtail
- Species Spotlight: Lindera benzoin (edible spicebush) – ArcheWild – Architects of Wild Spaces.
- Easily Spot Invasive Plant Species – Albert Land Management
- Year of the Pollinator Series – July: Spicebush Swallowtail – Awbury Arboretum | Philadelphia, PA
- Papilio troilus – Wikipedia
- Lindera benzoin (Northern spicebush) | Native Plants of North America
