- Region
- North America
- Origin
- Moist woods of eastern North America
- Traditions
- Cherokee medicine, Haudenosaunee medicine
North America · Herb · № 950
Lindera benzoin
Herb · North America
Spicebush
Lindera benzoin
A shrub of the laurel family with fragrant leaves and twigs and red berries.
Safety notes
Not in pregnancy. Traditional use is no proof of effect; consult a doctor or pharmacist if you are pregnant or breastfeeding, take medication or have a medical condition.
Cautions by tradition (2)
- Haudenosaunee (Iroquois) medicine: Not in pregnancy.
- Cherokee (Tsalagi) medicine: Not in pregnancy.
Preparation
Leafless twigs or the bark of the twigs as a tea.
Use in traditions
An everyday tea among the Haudenosaunee. According to the notes in Herrick, also a remedy for colds, cold sweats and measles, to bring the rash out. Settlers used the dried berries as a substitute for allspice.
Applications
Use by tradition
How different herbal traditions describe this herb. Amounts are traditional guidelines checked for obvious errors; they are not medical advice. For poisonous plants no dosage is given on purpose.
Haudenosaunee (Iroquois) medicine
Attributed effects
As an everyday tea; for colds, cold sweats and measles, to bring the rash out.
Preparation and amount
Bundle leafless twigs and boil them into a tea.
Caution: Not in pregnancy.
Cherokee (Tsalagi) medicine
Attributed effects
As a spring tonic and to cause sweating, for colds, coughs and croup, to bring out measles and for hives; also as a tea and as a spice with opossum or groundhog.
Preparation and amount
A tea of twigs or bark.
Caution: Not in pregnancy.
- Ways to prepare herbs
- Tea (infusion)
- Recipes
- Spicebush tea