When you say Spicebush are you referring to Lindera or Calycanthus? (Or something else?)
A couple of years ago a few of the piggies did an experiment with Calycanthus floridus from seeds collected from both the species and a couple of cultivars. My winter sown seeds germinated after a couple of months. As I recall the seeds I soaked and planted on a heat mat germinated in a matter of days. I think we each had 2-3 seeds of each type. All of my species seeds germinated regardless of sowing method. One of the cultivars seeds never germinated, at least not the first season and I did not have the patience to wait for another winter to break dormancy. I ended up keeping one of the resulting seedlings and despite neglect and abuse it has grown too big for it's allotted space. I think I will have to move it later this month.
