Sassafras albidum (Nuttall) Nees. Common name: Sassafras, Ague-tree, Sassafrax. Phenology: Mar-Apr; Jun-Jul. Habitat: A wide variety of forests, old fields, disturbed areas, fencerows. Distribution: S. ME, s. ON, MI, and s. WI, south to c. peninsular FL, s. AL, s. MS, and se. TX.
ID notes: The fall color is dull orange. While many plants have a mix of unlobed, bilobed ('mitten'), and trilobed leaves, other plants may lack any lobed leaves. Rarely, an additional 1-2 "side lobes" appear on leaves, resulting in 5-lobed and 7-lobed leaves.
Origin/Endemic status: Native
Other Comments: The original source of ‘root beer’.
Synonymy ⓘ: = Ar, C, Can, Fl2, FNA3, G, GrPl, K4, Mi, Mo3, NcTx, NE, NS, NY, Pa, POWO, RAB, Tat, Tn, Va, W, WH3; = Laurus albida Nutt. = Laurus sassafras L., oldest name; = Sassafras officinale Nees & Ebermaler; = Sassafras sassafras (L.) H.Karst. — S13; > Sassafras albidum (Nutt.) Nees var. albidum — F, Il, Tx, WV; > Sassafras albidum (Nutt.) Nees var. molle (Raf.) Fernald — F, Il, Tx, WV. Basionym: Laurus albida Nutt. 1818 "Urbasionym:" Laurus sassafras L. 1753
Links to other floras: = Sassafras albidum - FNA3
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Wetland Indicator Status:
- Atlantic and Gulf Coastal Plain: FACU
- Eastern Mountains and Piedmont: FACU
- Great Plains: FACU
- Midwest: FACU
- Northcentral & Northeast: FACU
Heliophily ⓘ: 5
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© Richard & Teresa Ware CC-BY-NC, permission granted to NCBG | Original Image ⭷
© Keith Bradley | Original Image ⭷
© Erik Danielson source | Original Image ⭷
© Scott Ward | Original Image ⭷
© Erik Danielson source | Original Image ⭷
© Gary P. Fleming | Original Image ⭷
© Scott Ward, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Scott Ward source CC-BY | Original Image ⭷
© Keith Bradley | Original Image ⭷
© Gary P. Fleming | Original Image ⭷
© Alan Cressler: Sassafras albidum, Sumter County, Georgia 1 by Alan Cressler source | Original Image ⭷
© Bruce A. Sorrie | Original Image ⭷
© J.W. Hardin | Original Image ⭷
© Erik Danielson source | Original Image ⭷
© Gary P. Fleming | Original Image ⭷
© Gary P. Fleming | Original Image ⭷
© J.W. Hardin | Original Image ⭷Feedback
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Horticultural Information
Intro:
Stems: Stems aerial or stolon. Pith continuous. Young twigs (1-year-old or less) green or reddish-brown or yellow-green, glabrous or glabrate or pubescent. Twigs (2-4 years old) glabrous. Leaf scars crescent-shaped or half-round, bundle scars 1(-3) per leaf scar, stipule scars absent. Bark of mature trunks furrowed or ridged. Buds axillary or terminal, brown or green, 1.5-12.5 mm long, globose or ovoid, blunt or sharp, bud scales imbricate.
Leaves: Leaves deciduous, simple, petiolate, alternate, 6-15(-18) cm long, (2-)5-10 cm wide, obovate or oval or ovate, leaf margins entire, unlobed or shallowly lobed or moderately lobed or deeply lobed, palmately lobed, leaf lobes 1-3(-5) per leaf, leaf apices acute or obtuse, leaf bases cuneate. Leaf upper surface green, glabrous or glabrate. Leaf lower surface green, glabrous or glabrate or pubescent. Leaf venation palmate or pinnate. Petioles 1.9-3.8 cm long. Stipules absent.
Inforescence: Inflorescences axillary or terminal, panicles or racemes, flowers stalked.
Flowers: Flowers unisexual or pistillate or staminate, perigynous. Perianth. Calyx radially symmetric, synsepalous. Sepals 6 per flower, calyx tubes 3-5 mm long, yellow or yellow-green, lanceolate or obovate or ovate, pubescent, caducous. Corolla absent. Androecium. Stamens 9 per flower, staminodes present. Gynoecium. Ovaries superior, pistils 1 per flower. Gynoecium monocarpous, 1 carpels per flower, styles 1 per pistil, styles 2-3 mm long, placentation basal. Other floral features. Hypanthia present.
Fruits: Fruits drupes, 0.6-1.5 cm long, black or blue, fruit maturation 1 years.
Comments: Leaves and twigs with a spicy odor when crushed or broken, roots with a different "root-beer-like" odor; leaves may be unlobed or with 2 or 3 (rarely 4-7) lobes.
Height: to 30 feet
plant sale text: Sassafras is one of the finest ornamental southeastern native trees, with varying four-season interest. It is infrequently offered for sale. Its mitten-shaped leaves show vivid fall colors, ranging from yellow and gold to orange. In the spring, its light yellow flowers are very attractive. Even in winter, the smooth reddish bark adds beauty. Host plant for Spicebush Swallowtails. The Cherokee used the flowers for fertilizer, and also used the plant to add scent to soap.
bloom table text: Sassafras is one of the finest ornamental southeastern native trees, with varying four-season interest. Its mitten-shaped leaves show vivid fall colors, ranging from yellow and gold to orange. In the spring, its light yellow flowers are very attractive. Even in winter, the smooth reddish bark adds beauty. Host plant for Spicebush Swallowtails. The Cherokee used the flowers for fertilizer, and also used the plant to add scent to soap.
description:
stems: Stems aerial or stolon. Pith continuous. Young twigs (1-year-old or less) green or reddish-brown or yellow-green, glabrous or glabrate or pubescent. Twigs (2-4 years old) glabrous. Leaf scars crescent-shaped or half-round, bundle scars 1(-3) per leaf scar, stipule scars absent. Bark of mature trunks furrowed or ridged. Buds axillary or terminal, brown or green, 1.5-12.5 mm long, globose or ovoid, blunt or sharp, bud scales imbricate.
leaves: Leaves deciduous, simple, petiolate, alternate, 6-15(-18) cm long, (2-)5-10 cm wide, obovate or oval or ovate, leaf margins entire, unlobed or shallowly lobed or moderately lobed or deeply lobed, palmately lobed, leaf lobes 1-3(-5) per leaf, leaf apices acute or obtuse, leaf bases cuneate. Leaf upper surface green, glabrous or glabrate. Leaf lower surface green, glabrous or glabrate or pubescent. Leaf venation palmate or pinnate. Petioles 1.9-3.8 cm long. Stipules absent.
inflorescence: Inflorescences axillary or terminal, panicles or racemes, flowers stalked.
flowers: Flowers unisexual or pistillate or staminate, perigynous. Perianth. Calyx radially symmetric, synsepalous. Sepals 6 per flower, calyx tubes 3-5 mm long, yellow or yellow-green, lanceolate or obovate or ovate, pubescent, caducous. Corolla absent. Androecium. Stamens 9 per flower, staminodes present. Gynoecium. Ovaries superior, pistils 1 per flower. Gynoecium monocarpous, 1 carpels per flower, styles 1 per pistil, styles 2-3 mm long, placentation basal. Other floral features. Hypanthia present.
fruits: Fruits drupes, 0.6-1.5 cm long, black or blue, fruit maturation 1 years.
comments: Leaves and twigs with a spicy odor when crushed or broken, roots with a different "root-beer-like" odor; leaves may be unlobed or with 2 or 3 (rarely 4-7) lobes.
cultural notes:
germination code:
native range: eastern United States
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