A spicy prelude to summer.
This time of year, while waiting for the grandiose colors of summer to emerge, a more modest display gains prominence. Today my eye was caught by this tangle of branches bedecked with miniature yellow pom poms. These are the first blossoms of lindera benzoin, or spicebush.
"By the alder dusted rills, Tufted maples on the hills, Spicebush knotted deep with gold, Crocus bursting through the mold, Vale and meadow up and down, Lifting green blades through the brown, By these tokens you may know, How the quickened pulses flow, How with subtle hint and sign, Teeming clod and budding vine, April comes and weaves her rhyme, For the Dandelion-time!”
Benj F. Leggett
As its name implies, spicebush is strongly aromatic. Not just the blossoms, but the entire plant - leaves, stems and berries - gives off a spicy, citrusy smell when crushed.
Lindera benzoin not just announces summer, but liberally seasons it with savory tea from its twigs and bark, medicinal oils from its berries, and soothing fragrances for steaming in the bath.
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