Lindera obtusiloba seed

LATIN NAME: Lindera obtusiloba

COMMON NAME: Japanese Spicebush, Blunt-lobed Spicebush

Japanese spicebush is a plant of quiet, many-layered pleasures. It grows as a spreading, deciduous shrub or small tree, usually four or five metres tall, with broad, rounded leaves that are often three-lobed, like a mitten with extra fingers. The bark and twigs are aromatic, giving off a pleasant, spicy scent when bruised. In early spring, before the leaves appear, the bare twigs carry clusters of small, greenish-yellow flowers, early food for insects waking from winter. In autumn the leaves turn a rich golden-yellow, lighting up the garden, and on female plants the flowers give way to small, glossy red fruits.

Japanese spicebush belongs to the laurel family, Lauraceae, and it is native to the forests of East Asia, from China and Korea to Japan. It is a tough, adaptable shrub that grows happily in sun or shade, and it is valued by gardeners for its early flowers, its fragrance and its brilliant autumn colour.

Positive & Encouraging Seed Germination Guide

Growing Japanese spicebush from seed takes a little patience, but it is a rewarding shrub to raise. The seeds sit inside the red fruits, and they need a period of cold, moist conditions to germinate, so collect the fruits in autumn, clean off the flesh, and sow the seeds in pots of moist compost, leaving them outdoors through winter. In spring, bring the pots to a bright spot and keep them moist. Germination can be slow and uneven, with some seeds taking many months, so keep the pots and do not lose heart. Grow the young shrubs on in pots for a year or two before planting out in a sheltered spot. Once established, the spicebush will reward you with its early spring flowers, its aromatic twigs and its glowing golden autumn leaves for many years.

Scientific Research & Plant Biotechnology

Japanese spicebush is of real interest in natural-products and ecological research. Like other members of the laurel family, the plant contains aromatic compounds in its bark, twigs and leaves, and researchers have examined its essential oils and their antimicrobial and antioxidant activity. The aromatic bark has a long history of use in traditional East Asian medicine, where it has been used to warm the body and ease cold-related discomfort, and modern studies have looked at its chemistry. In ecology, the early flowers make it an important early-season food source for bees, and the shrub is studied for its value in wildlife gardens and for its striking autumn colour. Between the laboratory and the woodland garden, Japanese spicebush has a quiet but steady record of study.

Ecological & Economic Value & Wide Applications

Ecologically, Japanese spicebush is a benefactor. Its very early spring flowers feed bees and other insects when little else is in bloom, the fruits feed birds in autumn, and the dense, aromatic shrub gives shelter for wildlife through the year.

Its economic value is mainly ornamental. It is grown in gardens and parks for its early flowers, its fragrance and its outstanding golden autumn colour, and it has a respected place in the nursery trade for connoisseurs of woodland and wildlife gardens. The bark and twigs have also been used in traditional medicine and as a spice in parts of Asia. For a grower, Japanese spicebush is a distinctive, sought-after shrub, and for a gardener it brings fragrance, early flowers and brilliant autumn colour all in one plant.