Sassafras albidum

Common Names

Sassafras, White Sassafras, Sassafras Tree, Mitten Tree, Cinnamon Wood, Ague Tree, Common Sassafras, Saloop, Smelling Stick

Summary

Sassafras albidum is a deciduous tree native to eastern North America, typically reaching 30–60 feet tall and 25–40 feet wide with a pyramidal to rounded form and cloud-like branching, leaves are highly variable in shape—unlobed, mitten-shaped, or three-lobed—about 3–7 inches long, aromatic when crushed, and autumn foliage shifts to yellow, orange, or red, small yellow-green flowers appear in spring on dioecious trees, and female trees bear dark-blue drupes on bright red stalks in late summer to fall, for cultivation, it grows best in full sun to partial shade on moist, well-drained acidic soils, but tolerates loam, sandy, and drier sites and is hardy in USDA zones 4–9, it often forms root suckers that can create dense thickets, and propagation is by seed (with stratification) or root cuttings, transplanting is difficult due to a large taproot, so container-grown stock is preferred, uses include aromatic foliage and bark for flavoring and perfumery, historically used for root beer and filé powder, though safrole in the oil is carcinogenic and regulated, fruits feed birds and the tree provides wildlife habitat and can serve as a specimen or naturalized screen, with drought tolerance once established.

Lifecycle

Perennial

Height

30-60 feet

Spread

300-480 inches

Hardiness Zones

Zones 4-9

Sunlight Requirements

Ideally Full Sun to Partial Shade.

Soil Type

Moist, well-drained acidic soil

Soil Drainage

Well-drained soil, does not tolerate standing water, slightly acidic with a pH of about 6.0–6.5

Soil pH

6.0-7.0

Bloom Color

Yellow to greenish-yellow

Bloom Time

Spring

Foliage Color

Green; yellow, orange, and red in fall

Fall Foliage Color

Yellow, Orange, Red

Leaf Lifecycle

Deciduous

Growth Rate

Moderate growth; about 1–2 feet per year.

Seasons of Interest

Spring, Summer, Fall, and Winter

Propagation Methods

Seeds, Root cuttings, Root suckers (division), Root sprouts

Attracts Wildlife

Attracts birds, Attracts butterflies, Attracts other pollinators