Lindera benzoin

[markyscott]

I'm curious - has anyone had any experience with Northern Spicebush? It has a lot of seasonal interest - yellow flowers like a forsythia in the spring and beautiful glossy red fruit in the fall. It grows in clumps all over the woods where I live, but I've not seen any in bonsai cultivation.

 

[markyscott]

I got really interested after seeing a picture of a related species (Lindera angustifolia - Oriental Spicebush) at Kokofu.

 

[Hartinez]

Does it grow as clumps or as individual trees?

 

[Hartinez]

I just looked it up. I see the seasonal interest you mean. If it is plentiful and available to collect, id certainly give it a go!

 

[markyscott]

Does it grow as clumps or as individual trees?

Seems like both, but perhaps more abundantly in clumps.

- S

 

[Hartinez]

Seems like both, but perhaps more abundantly in clumps.

- S

A quick search claims they grow often in singular tree form. If so, I’d imagine creating a similar image to the above kokufu example is possible

 

[Hartinez]

I’m playing with 3 leaf sumac at the moment for its seasonal interest and those def grow in clumps, which can be difficult to work with at times. I’d love to see you mess around with something new Scott.

 

[markyscott]

I’m playing with 3 leaf sumac at the moment for its seasonal interest and those def grow in clumps, which can be difficult to work with at times. I’d love to see you mess around with something new Scott.

I'll give it a go and dig a few up next spring.

- S

 

[Leo in N E Illinois]

When I owned the farm we had Lindera benzoin. I dug up some several times. It always died. Seems to like acid soils, as in blueberry acidic, more acidic than azalea want. Definitely a shade or understory shrub. Leaves were largish, flowers were small yellow, before leaves. Leaves were fragrant when crushed. I wish I had more time to gets some established before we sold the farm.

 

[Tums]

I bought a couple for the yard to try and get both male/female plants. Currently growing them out in pots until they flower to determine sex. I'll give the extras a try for bonsai. The one in the ground has produced a few suckers already this year. I've had them in quite a bit of sun with no leaf burn and they've not posed any difficulty in terms of care so far. The leaves do smell quite good.

 

[markyscott]

When I owned the farm we had Lindera benzoin. I dug up some several times. It always died. Seems to like acid soils, as in blueberry acidic, more acidic than azalea want. Definitely a shade or understory shrub. Leaves were largish, flowers were small yellow, before leaves. Leaves were fragrant when crushed. I wish I had more time to gets some established before we sold the farm.

Hi Leo - what time of year did you try collecting?

- Scott

 

[Leo in N E Illinois]

Spring, just before leafing out. And late summer after peak heat had passed. Both times failed. I did try to move them to a pumice bark blend, probably should have used my blueberry blend, as the Lindera were dug from the blueberry rows.

 

[markyscott]

All of the understory growth here is spicebush. I have at least 50 acres of it. Looking forward to giving it a try.

 

[markyscott]

Mostly clumps.

 

[WNC Bonsai]

I have a bunch in my back yard and tried to a couple previously but the main stems died and only a small root sprout survived. If you try I suggest making a ring around the roots with a spade this winter so hopefully it will put out a bunch of new feeder roots inside the circle the following season, then tend it over the summer and dig it the following winter/spring. I can’t remember whether the ones I moved have a big tap root or not. Good luck.

 

[Colorado]

Looks like Andrew Robson has one up at Rakuyo:

 

[markyscott]

Looks like Andrew Robson has one up at Rakuyo:View attachment 460701

That’s great! Thanks for the connection. I’ll get in touch with him and get his insights!

S

 

[Tums]

Style looks a little like a stewartia or ginkgo to me? Cool.

 

[Gabler]

I’ve had the same problem with collected spicebush dying. Although I’ve only been serious about bonsai the last few years, I’ve been digging up trees and cramming them in bonsai pots with mixed success since I was eleven. I’ve tried collecting one or two spicebush every spring, since I like how it smells when pruned, but they always die by mid summer. They’ll send out suckers from the base, run out of energy, and just shrivel up and die. I’m planning to try again with some small seedlings this spring, hoping that with more experience, I’ll see more success.

 

[Gabler]

I would add that they’re quick to abort a trunk without foliage and send out brand new suckers from the base. I know this from trail blazing through the woods with a machete. The chopped trunks always die if they have no foliage. They’ll have to be developed a bit more like pines.

Also, as a side note, the wood is relatively soft and very satisfying to chop with a machete, since it cuts so cleanly, even if the trunk or branch is a good inch and a half thick.