Not many things could be finer, here in Carolina, or anywhere else, as far as wonderful fragrance. We are having a rather early spring, it seems, and this is a plant that is already beginning to unfold its marvelous flowers, which can give off an amazingly sweet fragrance. A stand of these in your garden on a warm spring evening is something to invite your friends over for. For dessert.
Sweet-shrub, Carolina allspice, Calycanthus floridus, is a shrub that is native to the Southeast, and which is fairly common, in many places from northern Virginia down through lower Mississippi. It likes to grow in rich woods, and often in the shade. Just about every part of this plant is fragrant: the bark, the leaves, and of course, the flowers. Funny thing is, the fragrance can vary widely from plant to plant in a given population, and then even from season to season.
Its deciduous leaves are egg-shaped and somewhat pointed, usually scratchy above, and softly downy beneath, although this is variable, too. The flowers, which are somewhat similar of miniature magnolia blossoms, are typically maroon and reddish, sometimes varying to purple or even greenish.
In 1872, the famous Harvard botanist Asa Gray referred to the “purplish flowers” as “lurid.”I guess it depends on your meaning of the word “lurid.” In fact, the flowers fit into a syndrome that some of the botanists in my department have been actively studying: reddish-brown flowers, opening in the spring, that are heavily fragrant, and which attract a number of different kinds of pollinators. Paw-paw would be an example, and there are several species of our native Trilliums that do this, too.
Such colorful and rather smelly flowers often attract beetles and flies, a sort of carrion flower syndrome. After the flowers are finished, fruits are produced. These fruits are sort of odd: elongated and bag-like, they contain a good many smooth, brown seeds which eventually dribble out of an opening at the end.
These plants are rather easy to grow, I think. There are several horticultural varieties, including at least one that has yellow blossoms. They like loamy soil, and as suggested above, they do well in a bit of shade.
Back to the flowers, though. The fragrance of the flowers has said to resemble strawberry, pineapple, ripe banana, and even applesauce.
Depending on the plant observed, the fresh flowers are so fragrant that they have been used commonly as a sachet for the linen drawer. Tucked, by a lady, into an embroidered handkerchief, or held alone, they made a wonderful nosegay in a refined society.
Held even closer, perhaps slipped into — ahem— soft, skin-warmed areas near the neck, the flowers provide a marvelous counterpoint to the offending odors of the world, and eventually bringing us the name “bubby rose” or “bubby bush” (or even — gasp! — “bosom bush”) to this old-time favorite.
John Nelson is the curator of the A. C. Moore Herbarium at the University of South Carolina, in the Department of Biological Sciences, Columbia SC 29208. As a public service, the Herbarium offers free plant identifications. For more information, visit www.herbarium.org or call 803-777-8196, or email nelson@sc.edu.
The fragrance of the flowers has said to resemble strawberry, pineapple, ripe banana, and even applesauce. Depending on the plant observed, the fresh flowers are so fragrant that they have been used commonly as a sachet for the linen drawer.
The leaves, bark and root are equally fragrant but more like camphor. If you crush the leaves or scratch the bark, there is a pleasant, almost lemony, camphor scent which reminds me of a friend who would put eucalyptus branches in her car for the heat to release the pleasant scent.
You might know it best from Caribbean jerk seasoning, or from Middle Eastern cuisine (or Thanksgiving's pumpkin pie spice mix) – and in perfumery, allspice offers a similarly warm, sensual, nutty quality.
Antispasmodic, disinfectant[106, 169]. The plant contains an alkaloid that has a powerfully depressant action on the heart[4]. A fluid extract has been used as an antiperiodic[4]. A tea made from the root or bark has been used as a strong emetic and diuretic for kidney and bladder ailments[222, 257].
Snip off twigs and allow them to dry out in the sun or a low oven, then smash up the bark and use like cinnamon. Any drawbacks? The flowers and seeds are poisonous.
It even derives its name from that scent - asafoetida in Latin means "fetid gum". The smell is so strong that raw hing, a greyish-white sticky resin collected from the roots, is dried and mixed with flour - wheat in India's north, rice in the south - to turn it into an edible spice.
Many of the compounds in allspice are being studied as potential treatments for inflammation, nausea, and even cancer. Inflammation can aggravate injuries or infections. Many compounds in allspice may be able to reduce inflammation. Eugenol, the compound that makes allspice “spicy,” is sometimes used to treat nausea.
Carolina allspice flowers have a scent that is sweet, fruity, and long-lasting. Its fragrant flowers have led to many other common names for the plant: strawberry-bush, sweet bubby bush, sweet Betsy, and spicebush.
All parts of the plant were traditionally placed in drawers and closets to keep linens and clothing smelling fresh. More recently, the plant has become popular for use in potpourri. Carolina allspice blooms are usually a dark red or maroon to brown color (although some cultivars produce yellow, pink or white flowers).
General Description. Bloom Description: Maroon, tulip-like flowers bloom from May through June. Growth Habit & Shape: Calycanthus is a shrub native to the Appalachians south of New England, although it is found ornamentally in Massachusetts and Connecticut. It forms an oval- to vase-shaped shrub with many branches.
It is commonly called sweetshrub and strawberry bush in reference to the showy fragrant blooms which have been described as combining hints of pineapple, strawberry, and banana. The aroma is stronger in higher temperatures and it is best to purchase the plant in flower as the fragrances do vary so widely.
Carolina allspice flowers have a scent that is sweet, fruity, and long-lasting. Its fragrant flowers have led to many other common names for the plant: strawberry-bush, sweet bubby bush, sweet Betsy, and spicebush.
When allspice trees bloom with their clusters of tiny white flowers, the warm, clove-like perfume in the air is one of the most beautiful aromas imaginable. The first harvest begins when the female tree reaches eight years old and can continue bearing fruit for about 100 years.
The name “allspice” comes from the berries' flavour and smell, a combination of cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, and black pepper. The leaves on an allspice tree smell delicious too! After several years of maturation, the allspice tree may start producing green berries.
Carolina allspice carries deep meanings in the lexicon of flowers. It symbolizes benevolence, protection, and simplicity, reflecting a return to nature and a love for life's more rustic charms.
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