# What in the wilds of Florida could smell like very heavy spice? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [May 1, 2026, 1:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-in-the-wilds-of-florida-could-smell-like-very-heavy-spice/1029683 "2026-05-01T01:16:49Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2026, 1:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-in-the-wilds-of-florida-could-smell-like-very-heavy-spice/1029683/1 "2026-05-01T01:16:49Z")
About a year ago I was hiking in the woods in Florida when all of a sudden I smelled a very strong spice smell. It smelled a lot like you’re walking in the spiced tchotchkes aisle of a craft store but stronger. Or like potpourri that is being released but without any burning smell. Other things it did not smell like: – It was not sweet like I hear a corpse sometimes is – It was not sharp or metallic like blood – It was not even particularly flowery – I clicked on the “Your topic is similar to” suggestions from Discourse and one of them mentioned the eucalyptus at Michael’s, but I don’t think that it was “sharp” or “minty” per the description, although I do think it was “woody” and “camphorous”. It was just really really heavy. Upon smelling it, I looked around and couldn’t see anything unusual. I then started forward again and it became overpoweringly strong. If you’ve ever been in the Mint Room at Celestial Seasonings in Boulder, that’s how _strong_ it was. But it wasn’t sharp like mint, more “heavy” like cinnamon. So I turned around because my senses were screaming “unusual” even though there wasn’t any _specific_ danger I had identified. Any ideas as to what it was? I guess it’s possible it was a eucalyptus after all but I’ve never smelled it before in Florida. ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2026, 1:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-in-the-wilds-of-florida-could-smell-like-very-heavy-spice/1029683/2 "2026-05-01T01:25:47Z")
Florida anise? > **[Florida Anise – Gardening Solutions](https://gardeningsolutions.ifas.ufl.edu/plants/trees-and-shrubs/shrubs/florida-anise/)** ---
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2026, 1:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-in-the-wilds-of-florida-could-smell-like-very-heavy-spice/1029683/3 "2026-05-01T01:40:49Z")
Hmmm, the description of _regular_ anise on Wikipedia does sound similar (I’ve probably smelled it before but can’t remember). This was Central Florida where according to Wikipedia Florida anise does not grow, but where _Illicium parviflorum_ or Yellow Anise does. So it’s possible that it was Yellow Anise. ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2026, 2:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-in-the-wilds-of-florida-could-smell-like-very-heavy-spice/1029683/4 "2026-05-01T14:50:49Z")
Anise is the active flavor of licorice. So smells similar to that or to fennel if you know what that smells like. ---
**Author:** ![Beckdawrek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beckdawrek/32/3647_2.png) [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2026, 3:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-in-the-wilds-of-florida-could-smell-like-very-heavy-spice/1029683/5 "2026-05-01T15:00:39Z")
There’s a bug. A hard shell little ugly thing. We call them stink bugs. Not sure what they’re really called. (I’ll look and report back if I find it). When you accidentally step on one, you’ll know it. Spicy is how I describe the smell. Almost like a bag of fines herbes. Very loud aroma. Skunk spray can often be described as spicy. And it lingers. ETA …Brown marmorated stink bug. Shield shaped body. Or the Florida predatory stink bug, perhaps. ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2026, 3:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-in-the-wilds-of-florida-could-smell-like-very-heavy-spice/1029683/6 "2026-05-01T15:13:30Z")
> [@Ludovic](#): > > Hmmm, the description of _regular_ anise on Wikipedia does sound similar (I’ve probably smelled it before but can’t remember). This was Central Florida where according to Wikipedia Florida anise does not grow, but where _Illicium parviflorum_ or Yellow Anise does. So it’s possible that it was Yellow Anise. So, since a strong odor might be associated with crushing of the plant’s aromatic leaves, it probably means you were being stalked during your hike by a large predatory animal, like a Florida panther. You’re lucky to have survived. ---
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2026, 4:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-in-the-wilds-of-florida-could-smell-like-very-heavy-spice/1029683/7 "2026-05-01T16:40:07Z")
> [@Beckdawrek](#): > > We call them stink bugs. Not sure what they’re really called. (I’ll look and report back if I find it). > > When you accidentally step on one, you’ll know it. > > Spicy is how I describe the smell. Almost like a bag of fines herbes. Very loud aroma. > > Skunk spray can often be described as spicy. And it lingers. The description of _some_ stink bugs does seem similar. I had assumed that they _all_ smelled musky like a skunk, due to the name, and what I smelled definitely did not. But upon further research it does seem like you and some other people think that it smells like heavy spice/fine herbs. Perhaps it differs depending on species, individual bugs, and the nose of the person smelling it. ---
**Author:** ![Hypno-Toad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b2d939/32.png) [@Hypno-Toad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hypno-Toad)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2026, 6:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-in-the-wilds-of-florida-could-smell-like-very-heavy-spice/1029683/8 "2026-05-01T18:11:43Z")
There’s a property in my neighborhood in SW FLA that always smells like tarragon. Your description makes me think of that. And Mexican Tarragon does grow well in our heat and humidity. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2026, 6:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-in-the-wilds-of-florida-could-smell-like-very-heavy-spice/1029683/9 "2026-05-01T18:28:13Z")
There’s definitely stink bugs that smell like cilantro, at least. There’s a certain aldehyde they share. ---
**Author:** ![chela](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chela/32/21582_2.png) [@chela](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chela)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2026, 4:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-in-the-wilds-of-florida-could-smell-like-very-heavy-spice/1029683/10 "2026-05-02T16:15:06Z")
Melaleuca trees have a strong camphor type scent. It’s an invasive species brought over to help drain the swamps. Their roots, will infiltrate your drains, sewers and make helluva mess. Used to find them in garden stores I think they’re now banned. Kind of pretty with papery bark and willow like leaves. ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2026, 4:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-in-the-wilds-of-florida-could-smell-like-very-heavy-spice/1029683/11 "2026-05-02T16:24:22Z")
How far out in the sticks is this? Did you happen to be downwind of a spice (or any other odorous) manufacturing plant? Where I work, I can often smell spices when the nearby spice factory is doing something spicy. There’s also another factory that smells like bacon if you’re within about a mile of it. Of course, if you were miles from civilization, this probably isn’t the case, but if there’s an industrial area just past the tree line, maybe it was coming from there. ---
**Author:** ![Melbourne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b5e925/32.png) [@Melbourne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Melbourne)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2026, 3:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-in-the-wilds-of-florida-could-smell-like-very-heavy-spice/1029683/12 "2026-05-03T03:47:01Z")
> [@chela](#): > > Melaleuca trees have a strong camphor type scent. Aka Mrytle, tea-tree, bottle-brush, a group of plants with a variety of scents. I take it that the invasive species in Florida is camphor-scented and tree-shaped, but by no means universally true for Melaleucas. ---
**Author:** ![chela](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chela/32/21582_2.png) [@chela](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chela)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2026, 12:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-in-the-wilds-of-florida-could-smell-like-very-heavy-spice/1029683/13 "2026-05-03T12:51:49Z")
I’m remembering from my childhood, we had the papery bark tree and now that you mention it I also remember there was a bottlebrush a shrubby like tree. Both strongly scented. ---
**Author:** ![Bayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bayaker/32/3454_2.png) [@Bayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bayaker)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2026, 1:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-in-the-wilds-of-florida-could-smell-like-very-heavy-spice/1029683/14 "2026-05-03T13:47:50Z")
> [@Melbourne](#): > > > [@chela](#): > > > > Melaleuca trees have a strong camphor type scent. > > Aka Mrytle, tea-tree, bottle-brush, a group of plants with a variety of scents. I take it that the invasive species in Florida is camphor-scented and tree-shaped, but by no means universally true for Melaleucas. Camphor trees (Cinnamomum camphora) are also invasive in Florida, but I don’t know how widespread they are. Here in Texas I have come upon groups of them growing adjacent to bayous and miles from any development. The odor is quite noticeable and very pleasant.