Spicebush

Sometimes you just don't understand why a plant isn't more widely known! Take this wonderful, hardy shrub, for instance: its leaves are a glossy green, much like a cherry laurel, and from June into autumn, it produces exotic, brownish-red flowers shaped like magnolias or proteas... The scent of the flowers is fantastic: sweet like cinnamon or melons, a fragrance that is also released when you cut young shoots. The older branches can be peeled to provide an excellent substitute for cinnamon. This shrub grows slowly and flowers most abundantly in a sunny spot. It can reach a height of over 2 metres, but pruning is possible. Provide it with rich, moisture-retaining soil: a real asset! This unique shrub, originating from North America, has been cultivated in Europe since 1726.

Names:
Latin: Calycanthus floridus
Dutch: Specerijstruik
Also known as: Meloenboompje
English: Carolina Allspice, Eastern Sweetshrub, Strawberry Bush