Comments on: Signs of Spring: Spicebush http://www.wqed.org/birdblog/2010/03/27/signs-of-spring-spicebush/ A Bird Blog with Kate St. John Thu, 23 May 2013 02:06:09 +0000 hourly 1 By: Marge http://www.wqed.org/birdblog/2010/03/27/signs-of-spring-spicebush/comment-page-1/#comment-9041 Marge Wed, 31 Mar 2010 18:46:12 +0000 http://www.wqed.org/birdblog/?p=17052#comment-9041 Just love the scents and blooms of spring. Thanks for posting the lovely Spicebush, Kate and thanks Marcy for having so many lovely photos of everything from flowers, butterflies, to birds (and more!!).
By the way, gals and guys, if you’re walking in the woods looking for all the buds and blooms and birds, be careful–the ticks are out there already and from what I’ve been told by several people really active!!

]]> By: Carla http://www.wqed.org/birdblog/2010/03/27/signs-of-spring-spicebush/comment-page-1/#comment-8998 Carla Sun, 28 Mar 2010 15:41:31 +0000 http://www.wqed.org/birdblog/?p=17052#comment-8998 Kate…I looks like Dori at the Gulf Tower may be about to lay an egg.

]]> By: M Yontz http://www.wqed.org/birdblog/2010/03/27/signs-of-spring-spicebush/comment-page-1/#comment-8990 M Yontz Sat, 27 Mar 2010 20:20:49 +0000 http://www.wqed.org/birdblog/?p=17052#comment-8990 Thanks Marcy! I bet you are right on the name. Grandma always commented on the “spice” bushes. She passed away almost 14 years ago, so she may have always said allspice and I just remember the spice. hahaha I do know these bushes grow wild all over the hillsides around here and they are very pretty in the spring.

]]> By: Marcy C http://www.wqed.org/birdblog/2010/03/27/signs-of-spring-spicebush/comment-page-1/#comment-8985 Marcy C Sat, 27 Mar 2010 16:46:26 +0000 http://www.wqed.org/birdblog/?p=17052#comment-8985 M Yontz, I have a shrub called the Carolina Allspice and it has the kind of blossoms you described…smells like grapes/strawberries to me…if you can find the older shrubs, they seem to have more smell….these bloom later in the spring.

Can’t imagine chomping on the Spicebush…and depending on your smell, some people smell the spicy scent or sometimes to me…cat pee…(boxwood is the same for me.)

]]> By: John English http://www.wqed.org/birdblog/2010/03/27/signs-of-spring-spicebush/comment-page-1/#comment-8984 John English Sat, 27 Mar 2010 15:24:31 +0000 http://www.wqed.org/birdblog/?p=17052#comment-8984 Very familiar with spicebush. It smells like the Allspice you use at Thanksgiving :-) The berries can make a jam, the leaves a tea. The Native Americans chomped flat one end of a twig and used it as a toothbrush. Very plentiful on the hillsides in city parks.

]]> By: M Yontz http://www.wqed.org/birdblog/2010/03/27/signs-of-spring-spicebush/comment-page-1/#comment-8981 M Yontz Sat, 27 Mar 2010 13:02:49 +0000 http://www.wqed.org/birdblog/?p=17052#comment-8981 Kate, I am so enjoying reading all your posts. In southeastern Ohio, we have a bush that is called a spicebush. The flowers on it are a pinkish purple. They aren’t blooming yet, but are also one of the first things to bloom in the spring.

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