Sassafras Sassafras albidum
Previously known as:
- Laurus albidus
- Laurus sassafras
- Sassafras albidum var. molle
- Sassafras officinale
- Sassafras sassafras
- Sassafras variifolium
- Phonetic Spelling
- SAS-ah-fras AL-bih-dum
- This plant has low severity poison characteristics.
- See below
- Description
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Sassafras is a deciduous tree that is native to eastern and central USA and is found in all areas of NC. It can be found in woodlands, fields and along roadsides and has adapted to various acidic soils. All parts of the tree are aromatic. In early to mid-spring, small, bright yellow-green flowers are born in 2-inch stalks on separate male and female trees. Female trees produce a blue, fleshy drupe that is borne in a red cup attached to a red stalk. In the fall the leaves turn a beautiful yellow to orange to red in color.
A large taproot makes transplanting of established trees difficult. It tends to want to sucker repeatedly and will spread to form thickets. If a single truck tree is desired, these will need to be removed. This tree prefers well-drained sandy acidic soils but will adapt to other soils if well-drained. It will grow in sun to partial shade and is drought tolerant once established.
Use this tree as a shade tree, street tree or specimen. Allow it to spread by suckers for screening.
Insects, Diseases, or Other Plant Problems: The leaves may turn yellow while veins remain green (chlorosis) in alkaline soils. The trees can develop a variety of insect and disease problems that are generally not serious. It may experience root rot if grown in wet, clay soils.
- Cultivars / Varieties:
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- Tags:
- Cultivars / Varieties:
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- Tags:
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Attributes:
- Genus:
- Sassafras
- Species:
- albidum
- Family:
- Lauraceae
- Uses (Ethnobotany):
- Native Americans used the oils in tonics for medical purposes. Leaves and oils have been used in food products. The wood used to make furniture and boats. Oils have been used in soaps and fragrances.
- Life Cycle:
- Woody
- Recommended Propagation Strategy:
- Root Cutting
- Seed
- Stem Cutting
- Country Or Region Of Origin:
- North Carolina, USA
- Distribution:
- AL , AR , CT , DC , DE , FL , GA , IA , IL , IN , KS , KY , LA , MA , MD , ME , MI , MO , MS , NC , NH , NJ , NY , OH , OK , PA , RI , SC , TN , TX , VA , VT , WI , WV
- Fire Risk Rating:
- medium flammability
- Wildlife Value:
- Nectar plant for pollinators. Host plant for the Spicebush Swallowtail butterfly, fruit eaten by quail, wild turkeys, kingbirds, crested flycatchers, mockingbirds, sapsuckers, pileated woodpeckers, yellowthroat warblers and phoebes, black bears, beaver, rabbits, squirrels, some eat bark and wood, white-tailed deer browse twigs and foliage.
- Play Value:
- Edible fruit
- Fragrance
- Wildlife Food Source
- Edibility:
- Teas are made from roots
- Dimensions:
- Height: 40 ft. 0 in. - 70 ft. 0 in.
- Width: 25 ft. 0 in. - 40 ft. 0 in.
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Whole Plant Traits:
- Plant Type:
- Native Plant
- Poisonous
- Tree
- Leaf Characteristics:
- Deciduous
- Habit/Form:
- Irregular
- Multi-stemmed
- Pyramidal
- Rounded
- Growth Rate:
- Rapid
- Maintenance:
- Medium
- Texture:
- Medium
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Cultural Conditions:
- Light:
- Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day)
- Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)
- Soil Texture:
- Clay
- Loam (Silt)
- Sand
- Shallow Rocky
- Soil pH:
- Acid (<6.0)
- Neutral (6.0-8.0)
- Soil Drainage:
- Good Drainage
- Moist
- Occasionally Dry
- NC Region:
- Coastal
- Mountains
- Piedmont
- Usda Plant Hardiness Zone:
- 4a, 4b, 5a, 5b, 6a, 6b, 7a, 7b, 8a, 8b, 9a, 9b
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Fruit:
- Fruit Color:
- Black
- Blue
- Red/Burgundy
- Fruit Value To Gardener:
- Edible
- Display/Harvest Time:
- Fall
- Fruit Type:
- Drupe
- Fruit Length:
- < 1 inch
- Fruit Width:
- < 1 inch
- Fruit Description:
- Female trees produce pendant clusters of 1/2 to 1-inch bluish-black drupes borne in red cup-like receptacles on red stalks.
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Flowers:
- Flower Color:
- Gold/Yellow
- Green
- Flower Inflorescence:
- Raceme
- Flower Value To Gardener:
- Fragrant
- Flower Bloom Time:
- Spring
- Flower Shape:
- Cup
- Star
- Flower Petals:
- 4-5 petals/rays
- Colored Sepals
- Flower Size:
- < 1 inch
- Flower Description:
- Male and female flowers appear on separate trees. The flowers (1/3 inch across) are borne on 2-inch terminal clusters before the leaves. They have no petals but have six greenish-yellow sepals. Female trees bloom more profusely than male trees.
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Leaves:
- Leaf Characteristics:
- Deciduous
- Leaf Color:
- Green
- Leaf Value To Gardener:
- Edible
- Fragrant
- Showy
- Deciduous Leaf Fall Color:
- Gold/Yellow
- Orange
- Red/Burgundy
- Leaf Type:
- Simple
- Leaf Arrangement:
- Alternate
- Leaf Shape:
- Elliptical
- Ovate
- Leaf Margin:
- Entire
- Lobed
- Hairs Present:
- No
- Leaf Length:
- 3-6 inches
- Leaf Width:
- 1-3 inches
- Leaf Description:
- The medium green leaves are 4 to 8 inches long and 2 to 4 inches wide and will often have 3 shapes on the tree- oval without lobes, mitten-shaped and three-lobed. The arrangement is opposite and margins are entire to lobed. Fall color is quite showy with reds, oranges and yellows.
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Bark:
- Bark Color:
- Dark Brown
- Red/Burgundy
- Surface/Attachment:
- Furrowed
- Ridges
- Bark Description:
- The bark is attractive red-brown, deeply furrowed with corky ridges. Aromatic.
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Stem:
- Stem Color:
- Brown/Copper
- Gold/Yellow
- Green
- Stem Is Aromatic:
- No
- Stem Bud Terminal:
- Only 1 terminal bud, larger than side buds
- Stem Cross Section:
- Round
- Stem Lenticels:
- Conspicuous
- Stem Description:
- Twigs are smooth, round and greenish-yellow or greenish-brown with gray lenticels. Buds are 1/4 inch long and green. Aromatic when broken.
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Landscape:
- Landscape Location:
- Coastal
- Lawn
- Meadow
- Naturalized Area
- Woodland
- Landscape Theme:
- Drought Tolerant Garden
- Edible Garden
- Garden for the Blind
- Native Garden
- Pollinator Garden
- Design Feature:
- Flowering Tree
- Screen/Privacy
- Specimen
- Attracts:
- Butterflies
- Pollinators
- Small Mammals
- Resistance To Challenges:
- Black Walnut
- Deer
- Drought
- Problems:
- Messy
- Poisonous to Humans
