Spicebush

Spicebush, a shrub native to New York, is fragrant, having a spicy, citrusy scent and many uses. Its red berries attract a variety of birds but are a favorite of wood thrushes. They can also be dried and ground into an allspice substitute. The shrub supports the caterpillars of many moths and butterflies, particularly the spicebush swallowtail and promethea silkmoth. Its leaves and young twigs can be brewed into tea, which the Haudenosaunee people used to treat colds. That is just one of the over 20 documented indigenous uses for the plant. It grows in particularly rich soils and was used by early land surveyors as an indicator of fertile land.