Choose Northern Spicebush if you want a native shrub for woodland edges, pollinators, and fall color. The tradeoff: it needs room and looks natural, not clipped or formal.
Buy This If
You want a native wildlife shrub.
Your border has room to spread.
You like natural, layered planting.
Skip This If
You need a formal hedge.
You want evergreen screening.
Your site stays bone-dry.
PGNE Report Card
Category
Grade
Why
Landscape Impact
A-
Early yellow bloom, clean summer foliage, and strong fall color give it a natural woodland look rather than a formal showpiece.
Growth Rate
B+
It establishes at a useful pace, especially where soil does not dry out hard.
Maintenance
A-
Once placed in the right moisture and light, pruning is mostly limited to shaping or removing stray stems.
Deer Resistance
A-
Deer usually pass this by, since the foliage deters browsing, though no plant is completely immune where pressure is severe.
Small Space Fit
C
Its rounded, multi-stemmed habit needs room, so it is not the right shrub for tight foundation beds.
Screening Value
B-
It can soften views in a loose native planting, but it is not a dense evergreen screen.
Our Experience
At PGNE, we'd typically recommend Northern Spicebush as a back-of-border or woodland-edge shrub, not a front foundation plant. Give it room, pair it with lower natives, and avoid forcing it into a clipped shape.
Plant Facts
Mature Height
9 ft
Mature Width
9 ft
Hardiness Zones
4a-9a
Spacing
8 ft
Sun
Full Sun to Part Shade
Moisture
Average to moist
Growth Habit
Rounded, upright, multi-stem
Customers Usually Ask
Does it need shade?
Some shade suits it well, but it can handle more sun if soil moisture is steady.
Will it attract butterflies?
Yes, it is a host plant for Spicebush Swallowtail caterpillars and supports early pollinators.
Does it make berries?
Female plants can produce red fruit when a compatible male is nearby; buy for the shrub first, fruit second.
Privacy & Screening: Many varieties grow dense and full, making them ideal for natural hedges and property boundaries.
Seasonal Color & Texture: From evergreen foliage to flowering varieties, shrubs provide visual interest in every season.
Shrubs Grown to Perform in New England
At Pro Growers of New England, our shrubs are grown and maintained locally to perform in true New England conditions. From flowering varieties to evergreen foundation plants, each shrub is properly spaced, pruned, and cared for to develop strong root systems and balanced structure before it ever reaches your landscape.
Unlike large online sellers that ship plants long distances, we invite you to visit our nursery, walk the rows, and inspect the exact shrubs available. You can see the size, health, and fullness in person — ensuring there are no surprises upon delivery.
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Amy Martin
Progrowers was a great company to purchase from. Very fast delivery to my house. The tree seems to be in great condition and is so far doing really well!
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Anthony scavo
Great job. Very fast, efficient, clean work. Would recommend to everyone
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Anonymous
Came on time, planted the trees exactly where I wanted. Cleaned up after the work was done.
Installation Service ($30)
Josh Wagner
The guys showed up on time, did a nice install and cleaned up after themselves.
Installation Service ($30)
Francis Corbin
Nice plant, healthy & green
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Growzone Finder
It helps us recommend plants that are best for your local climate, based on your growing zone. Also, because we ship plants based on when they are best for your local climate, it allows us to give you a more accurate estimate of when your order will ship.
Found this company on GOOGLE, and so glad I did!
I needed trees asap, to create a fence from neighbors. None of the local nurseries had any stock for the Green Giant Arborvitae’s.
Only a 30 min ride, and we were met with the kindest folks and the BEST selection of trees, shrubs, and flowering perennials.
Don’t even bother with the Big Box stores, (if they have them, they are usually half dead) when you can get them bigger and HEALTHIER at Pro Growers. A N D local delivery is readily available!
WHY go anywhere else!
Progrowers was a great company to purchase from. Very fast delivery to my house. The tree seems to be in great condition and is so far doing really well!
