Spicebush has been impossible for me to grow. Apparently, from what I've read, it has very exacting requirements, CONSTANT moisture being most important. If they dry out even once, they die.
So, join the club of unsuccessful spicebush growers. :(
Does sassafras grow in your area? Spicebush swallowtails use it, and it's MUCH less picky about its growing conditions.
Sherry

I thought I couldn't grow Spicebush here either, but I was wrong. I went to a local area native nursery that had plants from a certain part of the Texas Hill Country area. Out of three of them, I only had a problem with one plant. It died back in the heat of one summer and I thought it was dead. It wasn't...it came back from the roots the next spring. They DID warn we to give the plants fairly frequent watering. But then again, I live in an area with frequent dry spells and drought...and it gets really hot here!

Thanks Sherry and Linda.

Hmmm...this is interesting to me. I bought 2 Spicebush (Lindera Benzoin) seedlings from a man on eBay. He was recommended to me on this forum. Anyway, I intially planted them in a spot that was a tad too sunny I think. So, I transplanted them last fall. They have both come back and seem to be doing really well in their current location. They are underneath the shade of a Hickory tree, and they don't stay too wet there. I'll have to keep a close eye on them for progress. I REALLY want those adorable Spicebush cats. Had some last year, but my plants were too small to support them. Had to take them into the wild and put them onto some Sassafras. Was a sad day.~~Angie

I have loads of spicebush. It is in the back of my yard amongst my trees so it appears to me they prefer shade or partial sun. The only reason it does not take over is the deer keep eating it. OTOH, the two sassafras trees I got both died. I decided to try again and picked up another one on Saturday.

KC

Out of curiosity, KC, is your soil acid, neutral or alkaline, if you know?
Sherry

Sherry,

All I know is it is clay as soon as you dig 1" down.

The spicebush is all volunteers.

My neighbor 3 doors down has no problem growing sassafras. Then again, I get morels and he doesn't so there is something different about our yards.

I was out looking at my "back 40" yesterday. Swamp milkweed has really spread but is not coming up where I planted it 2 years ago. Common milkweed is still MIA. Deer really munched the spicebush and young ash trees. Something just stripped all the leaves but left the stems on one of my small yellow buckeyes. I'm guessing insect since the tree 6' away was untouched. I meant to go out last night and look for the perp but I forgot until right
now.

Writing this made me wonder how big my "back 40" is. I just returned from measuring. It was a worthwhile trip. Caught our first turtle ever (my kids will be thrilled). It was sitting in the grass just east of my "back 40." Also saw 3 common milkweed plants I missed last night when I was hunting for garlic mustard (it was hiding amongst the zillion little ash trees that are coming up). Anyway, my lot is 130' wide. On the south end, my woods/wild area is 46' deep. On the north end, it is 14' deep.

KC

Hmmm....sounds like my property, KC, but in some spots the clay is almost right on top and in other places the topsoil is 6" - 12" deep before you hit the clay - the thick topsoil is towards the bottom of the hollow, so I guess it washes down.
About Lindera benzoin, the book Native Shrubs and Woody Vines of the Southeast says,
""Mts. and piedmont. Wet woods, stream banks and around streams and seeps, an indicator plant of carbonate outcrops."
Also, "It is easy to cultivate, taking kindly to any situation where the soil is moist and fertile. It grows best on neutral or alkaline soils, so the addition of dolomitic lime to acid soils may be beneficial."
Anybody know what carbonate outcrops are?
In the book Gardening with Native Plants of the South, it says about L. benzoin, "Soil - Acid, coarse, sandy, rich loam preferred." And, "Drainage - Moist to dryish."
So I've not gotten any help from books with growing spicebush. Maybe I'll order one and plant it like I planted two black willows. I dug a deep hole, planted the willows below ground level, used the extra soil to create a higher than ground level ring, and filled in the area above the willows with decomposing leaves. I planted them close to the hose, so I can easily keep them wet at all times. I'd probably add lime to the planting hole if I plant spicebush again.
I'd love to grow one successfully!
Sherry

I got two more "Webb" black willows from Woodlanders this year (one old one died and the other old one has lots of dead branches). Put one in the tree line in the back 40 and it is hanging in but I question if it will get enough sunlight. Other is in a pot.

Catherinet - It doesn't seem like your spicebush would be suffering from drought this early in the year. Is it in the sun or shade?

I have two spicebushes planted along a treeline where the tree roots are greedy and the soil dries out. I have trouble growing a lot of things there but my spicebushes have done fine. They get dappled shade all day and I only water them when it's hot and dry in July and August. My soil is clayish and rocky but I'm not sure about pH, probably varies around neutral.

Sherry, you didn't ask me, but my soil is acidic and rocky here. I'll let you know how mine end up progressing in their new spot.~~A

christie........the one that isn't doing so well is in the shade. We've had alot of rain this spring. The one that is in the sun and in a very wet area is doing okay.
This spring has been really bizarre here.......fluctuating from 40's to 80's with alot of rain.
I even had morels growing in my front yard for the first time in almost 30 years! I've heard other people saying the same thing. Hopefully, my spicebush will recover once summer gets going.

Since your research suggests they like acid soil, MissSherry, I would be hesitant to add lime to the soil, with will raise the PH.

I have managed to get Spicebush to grow 3 years and it always dies the 4th year - weird, huh? I planted my current one in the front yard amid pine tree, honeysuckle, hackberry, etc., so I can better monitor it. I have also been feeding with an organic fert called LadyBug John's (Austin, Texas origin). It is a 3-1.5-2 ratio, which is the ratio recommended by Al on the container forum. He's a physicist who has soil and nutrients down to a science, literally. Anyway, this organic fert is more of a soil builder than a plant fertilizer with micronutes and all. I have been giving in a 1/2 feed about every 3 or 4 waterings. It has responded well to this. My Spicebush is located where it gets shade to dappled shade to some West sun (only about 1 hour), like it would if it grew at a forest edge.

So far, so good, but it's only the 2nd year. The true test would be the 4th year for me.

Sandy would be helpful since she has had hers for a few years now. I'll be interested to see if she responds here, too.

The problems with Sassafras is that it is so hard to transplant. I've tried 3 times and failed. If you could get a very small seedling or seeds to start with, it might be a better solution. I don't think the seed is viable for very long, with fresh working best. If you know someone who has Sassafras and get either fresh seeds or a small volunteer, that would be great!

Susan

Yes, it is confusing, since one source said acid soil, the other said alkaline. If I get another one, I'll probably leave off the lime, but plant in a low spot by the hose like I did the willows. I won't be getting one now, though, because with this drought, it'd be just another plant to keep watered.
Sherry

When you talk about sassafras, you mean the tree, right?

Sassafras albidum, which is a tree.

Hostplant for spicebush and tiger swallowtail butterflies plus imperial, io, polyphemus, promethea, regal, Spotted Apatelodes, and tulip tree moths. Palamedes swallowtail and cynthia moths also use it but they are not in my area of the country.

And if like raising any ol' caterpillar you find, like the Pieris rapae folks :D, bagworms eat sassafras too.

KC

Thanks KC.
You guys are so smart! I'm in the wrong league here! :)

I checked on my spicebush today and it looks like the lower branches are leafing out okay. So I think I just need to prune the dead branches off, and it will be okay. YAY!

I think I'll look for some sassafras trees the next time I'm at the nursery. But......since I'm 61, I'll try to find bigger ones. :)

I planted three tiny spicebush plants last spring. We had an extremely hot and dry summer here in central Arkansas.

There were times I forgot about my little spicebush plants as I had planted them on a side of the house that is pretty much devoted to mature azalea's and hosta's and rarely visited except for upkeep. Well, the largest spice plant survived my neglect but the two smallest ones died from my lack of attention. The largest plant came back strong this spring and has put up a sucker near the base.

I ordered four new ones this spring and they're all putting out green leaves. They are planted in a high shade/dappled shade in a raised, terraced bed. I worked up the soil, added old leaf mold and after planting, mulched with a heavy cover of chopped up, rotting oak leaves. I will remember this year to water regularly after my loss last year! Now I'm hoping that between these 5 plants, I have a male and female so I can also provide some berries for the birds.

I wonder how large they will need to get before they will support a few spicebush hatchlings?

Mary

Now, there's the problem! From my experience, you seldom get just a few eggs. You're more likely to get more eggs than the plants could easily feed if they all live. Quite a few are likely to die in the first few instars. But then the mama butterflies keep on laying eggs. On occasion, I've covered up my spicebush plants to prevent more egg-laying, because it was doubtful that the late-instar cats I already had would have enough foliage.