Spice Bush Height Shipped:1 2 Feet Prune lightly the first year variegated varieties require more Prune lightly the first year to encourage branching and berry production supplying high quality native plants to customers across the U Spicebush is important in providing habitat to a variety of birds and insects․ One of the more interesting aspects of spicebush is its ability to attract such a variety of animals and provide them with an adequate habitat․ Many songbirds‚ such as warblers‚ use it as a shelter and for nesting material‚ while its berry like fruits are consumed by birds later in the season․ In addition to being a good food source‚ the small red berries may also be eaten by insects․ The plant is also important to biodiversity‚ with butterflies‚ bees‚ and other pollinators attracted to the flowers‚ and browsers eating the leaves․ Within the context of the garden‚ spicebush is part of the community of life‚ growing‚ feeding‚ and maintaining the cycle․ Spicebush‚ besides its many other attributes‚ has a pleasant and distinctive odor․ When the leaves are crushed or broken‚ the plants have a pleasant allspice or bay leaves aroma that adds to the pleasure of being in their presence․ The strong scent is yet another reason to grow the spicebush․ Besides being pleasant for the gardener‚ the scent serves to ward off some insects that may damage the plant‚ acting as an insect repellent․ This reduces the need to treat them with insecticides․ If you have ever brushed up against the spicebush's leaves while strolling in a botanical garden and then been enveloped in the warm‚ spicy smell coming from that shrub‚ drawing you towards it‚ you know why spicebush is a welcome shrub in the garden․