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April Tree-of-the-Month Spicebush Lindera benzoin Spicebush is one of the our first native shrubs to bloom in the spring. The bright yellow flowers emerge from little round buds before the leaves appear. People mistake it for forsythia, but don’t be fooled! The spicebush is in the laurel family (Lauraceae). Like many members of this family, most parts of the plant contain aromatic oils. Familiar foods and spices like avocado, bay leaf, cinnamon, and sassafras are in the laurel family. The bright red berries of spicebush, if properly prepared, can be dried and ground for use as a peppercorn substitute. But please don’t pick the berries; the birds need them more than you. Spicebush is also a host plant for the spicebush swallowtail. These caterpillars and butterflies primarily live and feed on plants in the laurel family. Spicebush Swallowtail Butterfly Papila troilus dark front wings with yellow spots along the outer edges Spicebush Swallowtail Caterpillar back wings also have a row of blue patches plus a red spot on the inside of each wing Letterboxing! Letterboxing is a fun way to explore the Arboretum and find spicebushes. For more information on letterboxing, go to www.letterboxing.org. Check out a new letterbox every month—stop by the Hunnewell Visitor Center or download a guide online. To find the letterbox, follow these directions: yy Head down Meadow Road until you past the first pond and are even with the black arbor on the left. yy Turn left and walk 21 steps, through the arbor. yy Turn left and walk 45 steps so you are next to Corylus heterophylla var. sutchuenensis. yy Continue straight, 39 steps past the large, many-stemmed Corylus americana. yy Turn left and walk 17 steps to Lindera benzoin f. benzoin and search for the letterbox. Follow the directions inside and leave everything just as you found it. yy This parent of the letterbox lindera was grown by J.T. Dawson, the Arboretum’s first propagator. In 1875 he collected seeds from a plant in Amherst, Massachusetts. Did you know that the big pond on this side of the road is named for Dawson? 125 Arborway Boston, MA 02130-3500 617-384-5209 www.arboretum.harvard.edu