Spice bush

Vital statistics

 10' tall and may be wider than tall, shrubby but may be pruned to one or a few trunks to make a graceful small tree.

Grow in shade or sun. Best with steady moisture. Tolerant of wet soil.

All parts fragrant. Small gray fruits aromatic and useful as a flavoring in cooking.

North American  native Lindera benzoi is hardy to zone 4 ( zone 3 in protected places. Asian species L. anugstifolia and L. glauca are hardy to zone 5 and perhaps to zone 4 -- they are new enough in the trade that only time and helpful gardeners reporting on the shrubs' performance will tell on that point.

More:

Spring color
Fall color

Spring color

 Spicebushes (Lindera species) bloom yellow in early spring. In a natural setting in a wooded area a copse of spicebush may appear as a haze of pale yellow. When the shrubs are grown in sun, they are thickly clad in more intensely-colored bloom.

Fall color

Spice bush (Lindera species)

Below: Common spice bush, native to shady moist woods in eastern North America, Lindera benzoin.

Below: A spicebush native to northeast Asis, Chinese spicebush, Lindera angustifolia. The leaves blaze orange in late fall, persist parchment color through winter, and drop in spring as new leaves emerge.