Hi Jim: Thanks for your questions. Spicebush is supposed to be easier to grow from seed than from cuttings. 

Here's a factsheet on growing spicebush Shrub of the Week: Lindera benzoin | BYGL.

As you know, the bright red berry-like drupes contain seeds. To grow spicebush from seed, harvest a few of these drupes late in the season when they are fully red and mature. The inner seeds should not be allowed to dry out, or they quickly lose viability. See my comment at the end about sinking-floating seeds.

Place the freshly collected drupes in a small bag with moist soil (or peat moss) and refrigerate them for approximately four months to cold-stratify them. 

If you are refrigerating the seeds without soil, sow them after 4-month stratification.  Sow the seeds about 1/4" deep in warm, moist soil, maintaining moisture until they germinate and begin to grow. You can use any commercial garden soil mix. Do not use fertilizer. 

Once the seeds germinate and send up their first leaves, keep the soil moist but not flooded. Provide warmth and sun for the seedlings to grow and thrive. You can keep them in the single container or individual pots until its warm enough to transplant outside.

Spicebush can be transplanted in the spring or fall. In the spring, the soil needs to be workable and beyond our last freeze. This year, it looks like May will be the soonest you want to plant outside. Here's an updated estimate for freeze dates for Ohio. Spring Frost Freeze Program

The soil should be of average quality and able to hold some water. Spicebush appreciates well-drained soil but isn’t too picky about soil quality. It tolerates heavy clay soils. I would loosen the soil and add some of the potting soil for the young roots. Gently remove the plant from its pot and transfer it into the prepared hole. Refill any gaps around the edges with fresh soil. Give the spicebush a thorough watering and ensure moisture through the warm months to ensure good root growth.

As for seed viability --- some sunken seeds will germinate and some floating seeds will fail to sprout, there isn’t a strong correlation between buoyancy and viability. So, I wouldn't rely on the sink/float test to determine which to discard and which to plant.

Regards,