The Calycanthaceae (sweetshrubs or spicebushes) are a small family of flowering plants in the order Laurales. The family contains three genera and only 10 known species , restricted to warm temperate and tropical regions:

They are aromatic, deciduous shrubs growing to 2–4 m tall, except for Idiospermum, which is a large evergreen tree. The flowers are white to red, with spirally arranged tepals. DNA-based phylogenies indicate the Northern Hemisphere Calycanthus and Chimonanthus diverged from each other in the mid-Miocene, while the Australian Idiospermum had already diverged by the Upper Cretaceous and likely represents a remnant of a former Gondwanan distribution of Calycanthaceae.

The oldest definitive fossil of the family is Jerseyanthus from the Turonian of New Jersey; the even earlier Araripia from the Aptian of Brazil and Virginianthus from the Albian of Virginia may also represent members of the family, but may also be stem-Calycanthaceae or more basal Laurales.

In the APG IV system of 2016, Calycanthaceae is placed in the Laurales order in the magnoliids clade.

  • Calycanthaceae in L. Watson and M. J. Dallwitz (1992 onwards). The families of flowering plants.
  • Flora of North America: Calycanthaceae
  • Flora of China Draft text of Calycanthaceae
  • "Molecular phylogeny and intra- and intercontinental biogeography of Calycanthaceae"