Lindera chienii seed

LATIN NAME: LINDERA CHIENII

COMMON NAME: Chien Spicebush

The Chien spicebush spices the rounded, open crown with the glossy, aromatic leaves and the small, yellow-green flowers that open in the early spring before the leaves, the small, red fruits following and ripening through the autumn. The crushed leaves and the twigs carry the warm, spicy scent, and the fruits feed the birds through the late season. The shrub keeps the neat, rounded habit, and it stands the cold well. It likes the part shade, and the moist, leafy, well-drained soil.

Scientific Research & Plant Biotechnology

In the laurel family, the spicebushes have a recognised place in the studies of the aromatic woodland shrubs, and the Chien species appears in the research on the leaf oils and the fruiting habit. The chemists value the aromatic compounds in the crushed leaves and the twigs, while the ecologists note the red fruits that carry the birds through the autumn. The seed biology fills out the picture, and the collectors of the fragrant woodland shrubs keep the species in their catalogues.

Ecological & Economic Value & Wide Applications

In the shaded garden, the Chien spicebush scents the garden with the crushed leaf. The yellow-green flowers open early, the aromatic leaves and the twigs have served the teas and the spice-like flavour for the ages, and the red fruits feed the birds through the autumn. It grows well in the moist, leafy, sheltered ground. Cool, fragrant and quietly generous.

To grow the Chien Spicebush from seed,

Press the seeds into the leaf-mould mix of the shaded pot, then cover them lightly, keep the pot in the cool, shaded spot and water gently

Keep the shade steady, and do not let the pot dry out. The seedlings grow slowly at first, then pick up the pace through the summer.

. The seedlings rise of their own accord, and they grow on steadily. Settle the young shrubs in the part shade and the moist, leafy ground, and the red fruits will spice the autumn over the years.