Useful in a shrub border or at the back of a perennial bed, spicebush starts the growing season with small but fragrant yellow flowers which bloom along the twigs before the leaves emerge. During the growing season, the shrub produces glossy leaves that are pest and disease free. Should spicebush grow too large for it's garden spot, it is easily cut back in the spring. In the fall, the leaves turn a rich golden-yellow. Finally, if you have planted both a male and female spicebush (to do this, you must plant a few and hope for the best), you will be rewarded with small, red-purple fruit that becomes readily apparent after the leaves fall but before it is eaten by birds.

Importance as a caterpillar food source: The caterpillar of the Spicebush Swallowtail butterfly feeds on Spicebush leaves. Caterpillar eggs are laid singly on the underside of the leaves. The caterpillars spend most of the day in rolled up leaf shelters, coming out to feed at night.

Importance as a butterfly nectar source: With insignificant early spring flowers, Spicebush is not a nectar source.