Tall, multi-stemmed shrub covered with aromatic yellow-green flowers in early spring.  The leaves emerge about a month after the flowers, around early May.  Male and female flowers are borne on different shrubs.  The leaves of spicebush are the main source of food for swallowtail butterfly caterpillars.  Light green leaves become bright yellow in the fall, and when the female plants produce fruits, they provide food for various birds.