Now I live in Quebec and from what I see I plan to live here for the rest of my life, but even with that in mind I love to explore new plants and am in the process of planning an August 2000 vacation centered around what plants I want to locate in the wild. How exciting it will be to explore this plant and possibly locate it next summer. Sort of a treasure hunt of flora. This shrub grows to 16 feet tall with many spreading to upright branches that emit a spicy odor when broken. The leaves alternate, are deciduous and simple and are thin and smooth.
Flowers appear in early spring, producing dense clusters of tiny yellow flowers.
And the fruit produces in clusters with each berry being oval-shaped and red in color when mature. To harvest the spice bush collect the leaves in early spring, the berries as they mature, and the bark and twigs through out the year. The leaves, bark and twigs can be used as an aromatic tea when seeped in boiling water for 15 minutes and the berries can be dried, ground and used as a substitute for allspice in any recipe. How to tips on planting, pruning, growing, seeds, maximum height and size, growth rate, gardening care, feeding etc. For a complete listing of article comments, questions, and other discussions related to Melana Hiatt's Edible Wild Plants topic, please visit the Discussions page .