Into spicy bloom
Newly opened spicebush
My travels often take me into wetlands, so Spicebush, which likes wet "feet," is a small shrub I know extremely well. It's at its blooming best in mid-to-late April, just about the time the Forsythia is in its yellow glory. Lindera benzoin definitely lives up to its common name, and sometimes, if it's not too windy, I can smell the plant's heady aroma, even though the nearest stand is one hundred yards away from my home. The merest touch of that perfume is enough to send me in search of the shrub, and these days, I don't have to travel far. Soon enough, the delicate, small flowers and the powerful scent will be gone, replaced by modest leaves and non-descript berries, so there's no time to dally. A spicebush fix won't wait.