Benjamin bush is a genus of about 80-100 species of flowering plants in the family Lauraceae, mostly native to eastern Asia but with three species in eastern North America. Benjamin bush are evergreen or deciduous trees or shrubs. The leaves are alternate, entire or three-lobed, and strongly spicy-aromatic. Benjamin bush are dioecious, with male and female flowers on separate trees. The inflorescences are composed of 3 to 15 small flowers existing as pseudo-umbels. The flowers are from greenish to white, greenish-yellow, or yellowish, with six tepals arranged in a star shape. The base of the flower is small and flat. The fruit is a small red, purple or black drupe containing a single seed.