About

Sassafras

Sassafras albidum

Height: Typically 20-30 feet, but can reach more than 80 feet
Light: Full sun to part shade
Soil Type: Dry to moist soils
Bloom Time: March – May (Fruits mature August-September)
Flower Color: Yellow, pleasantly fragranced
Foliage: Mitten-shaped leaves. In fall leaves are yellow, orange and red with fruits that are navy blue oval pearls atop red stalks

Wonderful rootbeer scent in all parts of the tree. Mitten-shaped leaves (traditionally used to make file powder, the thickener in Cajun gumbos), spring-green buds, tiny but noticeable pretty yellow flowers, distinctive striated green and orange bark on younger trees.

In the fall, brilliant yellow, orange and red leaves with unique and beautiful fruits: navy blue oval pearls held atop red stalks.

Sassafras trees are dioecious and attract spicebush and zebra swallowtail butterflies, bluebirds, robins and catbirds.