Tinkturenpresse

Lindera benzoin (L.) Blume syn.Laurus benzoin L.; Benzoin aestivale Nees - Lauraceae - (northern) spicebush, common spicebush, Gewürzbusch, (Wohlriechender) Fieberstrauch

Deciduous shrub, up to 3m tall, native to eastern North America; leaves alternative, oval, up to 15cm long, dark green above and paler below; inflorescences are showy clusters, flowers yellow, sweetly fragrant; fruit a berrylike drupe, red when ripe.

„The leaves, along with the stems are very aromatic when crushed with a spicy, citrusy smell, hence the common names and the specific epithet benzoin. In the fall the leaves turn a very bright and showy yellow color… The ripe fruit is a red, ellipsoidal, berrylike drupe, rich in lipids, about 1cm long and is eaten by several bird species. It has a „turpentine-like“ taste and aromatic scent… “ wikipedia

„The essential oils of fresh leaves, twigs, and/or fruits of spicebush cultivated in Oregon (field distilled) and Delaware (laboratory distilled) are examined by GC/MS. The oil of leaves of spicebush is notably high in 6-methyl-5-hepten-2-one (1.94% in Oregon to 34.83 ± 9.69% in Delaware). β-caryophyllene (15.26% in Oregon to 48.44 ± 1.35% in Delaware), and/or (E)-nerolidol (10.20% in Oregon to 12.05 ± 2.02% in Delaware). The oil of the twigs of spicebush is notably high in 1,8-cineole (45.41 ± 0.35% in Delaware), while the oil of the fruits is notably high in α-phellandrene (64.62 ± 0.66% in Delaware) and β-phellandrene (11.23+0.17% in Delaware).“
[Tucker, Arthur O., et al. „Spicebush [Lindera benzoin (L.) Blume var. benzoin, Lauraceae]: a tea, spice, and medicine.“ Economic botany 48 (1994): 333-336]

Lindera benzoin (L.) Blume - northern spicebush - at the Skaneateles Conservation Area, Town of Skaeateles, Onondaga County, New York (2011) CC BY-SA 4.0, Author: R. A. Nonenmacher Wikimedia Commons

Northern spicebush images see also: "Lindera benzoin". Germplasm Resources Information Network. Agricultural Research Service, United States Department of Agriculture.