Lindera benzoin, Spicebush?

Spicebush blooms very early (around mid-to-late March here in zone 6) w/tiny, yellow flowers along the stems. There's enough of them in the nearby woods here to make a subtle hazy yellow throughout the understory.

I think they are dioecious, are they not? i meant to id mine in bloom to determine if it were make or female becsuse it has no berries.

bengz6westmd - Thanks for posting a photo, at least now I know what to look for next spring.

in our MI ... mid march might still be snow time ... so i wouldnt be surprised if we are not a bit later ... if its a bitter winter ...

keep in mind.. its not air temps ... its soil temps which are usually the trigger for spring growth ... and we are subject to ground freeze in parts of our MI ... so you MIGHT be a few weeks behind beng ...

ken

kitasel2, yes, they are dioecious. The berries are edible, but so spicy almost unpalatable. The native Americans dried & then ground them up & added to their pemmican for a "kick". Here's one of mine in an un-mowed area last fall -- the shrub turns a nice, clear yellow. This year this shrub is LOADED with fruit.