What is Spice Bush?

Spice Bush is a wild shrub of eastern North America. Its twigs, leaves and red berries smell strongly of spice when crushed. Folk healers brewed them into a warm, fragrant tea.

It was best known as a fever drink. That is why many people still call it Fever Bush. The dried berries were also used in the kitchen, much like allspice.

Here is the honest verdict. There are no human trials on Spice Bush for any health problem. Long traditional use is not proof that it works, and it is not proof that it is safe.

How does Spice Bush work?

No one has shown how Spice Bush acts in the human body. What follows is proposed, not proven.

The plant's scent comes from its aromatic oil. In laboratory dishes, oils from Lindera plants slow the growth of some bacteria and fungi. Whether that happens in a person drinking the tea is unknown.

Lab work on related Lindera species also shows changes in inflammation markers in cells. Cell results often fail to repeat in people. Treat them as a hint, not a finding.

There is a simpler reason the tea may feel good. Warm fluids ease a dry throat and a blocked nose. That comfort is not a drug effect of the herb.

What forms does Spice Bush come in?

Spice Bush is foraged far more often than it is bought.

The usual forms are:

- Fresh or dried twig tea, the classic folk form - Dried leaf tea - Dried, ground berries used as a kitchen spice - Tinctures (alcohol extracts) from small herb makers - Essential oil, sold for scent only

Quality is not controlled. Wild plants vary a lot from site to site. Labels on small-batch products are rarely checked by anyone.

Never swallow the essential oil. Concentrated plant oils can burn the gut and strain the liver.

Where it comes from:

Several Native American nations used Spice Bush as a warming tea and a seasoning. Recorded uses included fevers, coughs, colds and aching joints.

European settlers copied the practice. During the American Civil War, blocked trade pushed some households to use the berries in place of allspice.

Eclectic physicians of the 1800s listed it in their books. They treated it as a mild fever drink and a gentle tonic.

It faded from medical use by the early 1900s. It stayed a regional folk plant and a forager's spice.

What does Spice Bush help with?

• Fever and chills: This is the use the plant is named for. Folk healers gave warm twig tea to people with fever and chills. No trial has tested whether it lowers body temperature. A hot drink can feel soothing without changing a fever at all.
• Colds and coughs: Tradition used it for winter coughs and blocked noses. In lab dishes, some of its oils slow certain germs. That has not been shown to shorten a cold in people. Any relief you feel may come from the warm steam and fluid.
• Upset stomach and gas: Aromatic teas have a long folk record for wind and queasiness. Spice Bush was used this way across Appalachia. There is no human study on it. Strong brews can irritate the stomach in some people instead of settling it.
• Period cramps: Folk use included bringing on a late period and easing cramps. This claim has never been tested. It is also the reason the page warns against use in pregnancy.
• Aching joints: Some records mention a tea or wash for sore joints and muscles. Lab studies on related Lindera plants show effects on inflammation markers in cells. No one has shown that this helps a painful joint in a person.
• Use as a kitchen spice: This use is real and needs no medical claim. The dried, ground berries taste close to allspice. Food amounts have a long record of ordinary use by people who can identify the plant.

Which foods are rich in Spice Bush?

Spice Bush is not a nutrient. The dried berries are used as a spice, close in taste to allspice.

What are the side effects of Spice Bush?

• Nausea
• Stomach upset or heartburn
• Burning in the mouth or throat from strong brews
• Skin rash in people sensitive to the plant
• Allergic reaction, rare but possible
• Vomiting and severe harm if the essential oil is swallowed

Good to know:

Reports of harm are few, but so is proper study. The tea is generally reported as mild at food-like strength.

The real hazards are different ones. Swallowing the essential oil can cause serious harm. Picking the wrong wild plant can poison you.

How much Spice Bush should you take?

• Recommended daily: There is no established dose. No study has set a safe or useful amount for any health purpose. Herbal tea labels in this family usually mention about 1 to 2 teaspoons of dried plant steeped in a cup of hot water. That is a general label figure, not advice for you. There is no safe amount in pregnancy, in breastfeeding, or for young children.
• Best time of day: Timing does not matter in any way that has been shown. People drank it when they felt unwell, often in the evening for its warmth.
• With or without food: Food makes no known difference. Drinking it with or after a meal may lower the chance of stomach upset.
• Time to effect: Nothing is proven to happen at all. If a warm spiced drink soothes you, you will notice that within minutes. Do not wait on it for a real illness. Fever that climbs or lasts needs medical care, not tea.
• How long to take it: No safe length of use has been studied. Folk use was short term, during a cold or a fever. Long daily use has never been tested and cannot be called safe.