The only type of spicebush that grows wild here is a very rare, endangered type, lindera coriacea. I've never seen any myself nor have I found a place to order it.
I've had a lot of trouble growing my spicebush. I planted it in a shady, wet spot, but when we had a long spell of hot dry weather I forgot to water it, and the top died - I sure hope the roots didn't die, and it'll come back next spring.
The principle host plant for spicebush swallowtails here is sassafras, which is very easy to grow, provided it gets good drainage - sassafras can grow in a variety of light conditions, shady to part sunny to full sun. It usually colonizes and only gets to small tree size - occasionally, it'll make a big tree.
If I were you, I'd only plant spicebush if you have a very shady, very wet site.
MissSherry

MissSherry, do you mean pondberry, Lindera melissifolia?

There are two species of spicebush (of the three in America) that grow wild in South Mississippi.
Of those two-

pondberry:
Apparently has a problem with a fungus that causes perpetual dieback to the roots and no or almost no seedlings have ever been seen in the wild. ItÂs a interesting plant but could never be a ornamental species.
It is Endangered species.

Another rare and species is the Bog spicebush (L. subcoriacea) but i have never seen any information on it. It might make a nice shrub, but I donÂt think its available in commerce.

Pondspice (Litsea aestivalis) is another very rare related species that hosts this butterfly that would grow in your area, but it too is almost impossible to find.

All of these species are rare and threatened in the wild, but atleast one of these might be offered somewhere if you are really interested in obtaining one.

Sassafras is your best bet by far, if only on account of being able to find it.

I have a link below if anyone is interested in reading more about the endangered spicebush. Its something that interests me so I thought I might share,

Here is a link that might be useful: Pondberry

I meant to say lindera subcoriacea, fledgeling, not l. coriacea. I didn't know that l. melissifolia grew anywhere in Mississippi. I thought it only grew in North Carolina, but it looks like from your great link that they're finding it at more and more places in the Southeast. Woodlander's carries it, but because it's listed on the endangered species list, they can't sell it through interstate commerce, you have to pick it up - I don't know why they have such a rule! My sister lives in Augusta, GA, right across the state line from Aiken, SC, where Woodlander's is located, so the next time I visit her, I'll have to ride over and get some - it'd probably do better here than l. benzoin.
Thanks for the link!
MissSherry

I did order 2 from someone on Ebay. One I planted and it did horrible. One I put in a pot and sat it in a shady spot in a plastic bowl with mud and water it it. It has done fine, but I do not know what to do with it now that the colder weather is coming. It will never be enough to attract butterflies. Where should I get sassafras? My spice bush plants were like 3 inches tall. I want more and larger if I get sassafras. When should I get them and plant them? I appreciate the information. I have never gardened until I started my butterfly garden and am ignorant about it. I learn by reading books, the internet, and from you butterfly lovers!

The only two nurseries I know of that carry sassafras are Mail Order Natives and Woodlander's, but if you Google sassafras albidum you'll probably find more nurseries. Both nurseries send small plants, which I usually pot up and "baby" first until they get some size on them. When I plant real small plants in my woods, they frequently get completely dug up by armadilloes and/or squirrels - the critters can't manage to dig up the bigger plants with their bigger root systems. I vaguely remember digging up a small sassafras plant on my property one time and potting it up. It died - I don't know if it died, because I dug up a root runner that didn't have enough good roots on its own or if I overwatered it. Sassafras has to have well drained soil, and growing that type of plant in a container is difficult for me - I forget and water it as much as I do other plants. I don't remember seeing sassafras growing naturally in Gulfport when I lived there, but then it was all so suburban/changed, that it might grow in the few wooded areas left there.
If I were you, I'd order it from one of the two nurseries I mentioned and be careful not to overwater it. If your property is safe from critters, then you could go ahead and plant it in a well drained spot while it's small. If you've got rampaging critters, you could wait until it gets some size on it and fills out at least a gallon container with roots before planting it in your yard. Once your sassafras becomes established, it'll start colonizing/coming up all around the original planting, so you'll have plenty of it.
I can dig up some little bitty ones that appear to have come up from seed, pot them up, and if they thrive, I can let you know, and you can come and get them if you'd like.
For what it's worth, camphor trees/cinammomum camphora grow well and abundantly on the Coast, and they're reportedly used by spicebush swallowtails in Florida and Texas - our Mississippi spicebush swallowtails might use them, too. They're not native, but they don't appear to be invasive on the Coast, so I think they're safe.
MissSherry

Here is a link that might be useful: Woodlander's Sassafras

And here's a link to Mail Order Natives' sassafras -

Here is a link that might be useful: MON Sassafras

Thank you. I will check this out right now.

MissSherry, about that law,

The interstate barriers to trade of endangered species is there to prevent unscrupulous trade. Think of it this way- hypothetically- there are some very morally questionable butterfly collectors that want to take an endangered species of butterfly and sell the mounts to people that fancy such things. Or an endangered carnivores plant species poached from the wild, put in a pot, and given the label of nursery grown- both thing have happened. What if they could ship these things cross country? That would be a big boon. By preventing transportation of endangered species across state borders, it severely limits the area you can commercially sell such things researchers get permits to do such. It is a law to protect rare species from exploitation.

Well, then, that's a good law, fledgeling!
I'll call my sister real soon to set up a visit! :)
MissSherry