FNPS Plant Database

Sassafras albidum

sassafras
  • Photo by: Shirley Denton, Suncoast Chapter FNPS
  • Photo by: Ginny Stibolt, Ixia Chapter FNPS
  • Photo by: Shirley Denton, Suncoast Chapter FNPS
  • Photo by: Shirley Denton, Suncoast Chapter FNPS

Nomenclature

Common Name:

sassafras

Synonym(s):

Genus species:

Sassafras albidum

Family:

Lauraceae

Plant Specifics

Form:

tree

Size:

30-60 ft tall by 25-40 ft wide, forms clones.

Life Span:

Long-lived perennial

Flower Color:

yellow,NA

Fruit Color:

blue,black

Phenology:

Deciduous. Inconspicuous blooms in mid-spring. Leaves turn red to yellow in fall.

Noted For:

Showy Flowers, Showy Fruits, Aroma/Showy Fruitsagrance, Fall Color, Interesting Foliage

Landscaping

Recommended Uses:

A relatively small tree that often forms thickets. Best used in informal settings.

Considerations:

Like other members of this family, sassafras trees are threatened by the spread of the redbay ambrosia beetle and the laural wilt fungus it carries. Mildly toxic, especially the bark.

Availability:

Quality Nurseries, Native Nurseries, FNPS Plant Sales

Propagation:

Seed, cuttings (root or stem), division by digging the sprouts.

Light:

Full Sun, Part Sun

Moisture Tolerance:

Always Flooded------------------------------------------------Extremely Dry

Coming Soon!

Somewhat moist, no flooding ---to--- Very long very dry periods

Salt Water Flooding Tolerance:

Unknown

Salt Spray/Salty Soil Tolerance:

Low/no tolerance of salty wind or direct salt spray

Soil or Other Substrate:

Sand, Clay, Loam

Soil pH:

Highly acidic to neutral

Suitable to Grow In:

8A,8B,9A,9B

USDA zones are based on the average annual extreme minimum winter temperature.



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Ecology

Wildlife:

Pollinators, Caterpillars, Birds

Larval food for spicebush butterfly( Papilio troilus ), tiger swallow-tail( papilio glaucus ), palamedes butterfly ( Papilio palamedes ).





Flowers attract pollinators.

Birds consume fruit.

Native Habitats:

Dry sites. Dry mesic forests.

Natural Range in Florida:

Comments:

Ethnobotany:

Bark was used for an orange dye. Tea can be made with young roots and leaves may be used in salads or cooked with other greens.  There are reports of the tea having carcinogenic properties.

General Comments:

Red/orange fall color is excellent. Leaves have three separate shapes: ovoid, tri-lobed, or mitten-shaped (left or right). Mature trees tend to have fewer lobed leaves.



Subject to laurel wilt disease.  Please be careful not to move firewood or dead wood around.  Best not planted in areas where laurel wilt is present.

Citations:

https://extension.tennessee.edu/publications/Documents/SP656.pdf (flood tolerance)

Haehle, Robert G. and Joan Brookwell.  1999.  Native Florida Plants.  Gulf Publishing Company.  Houston, TX.



Huegel, Craig, N.  2010.  Native plant landscaping for Florida wildlife.  University Press of Florida, Gainesville, FL. (wildlife uses).



Nelson, Gil.  2003.  Florida's Best Landscape Plants. Association of Florida Native Nurseries.



Minno, Marc and Maria Minno.  1999. Florida Butterfly Gardening.  University Press of Florida. 



Burns, Russell M.; Honkala, Barbara H.; [Technical coordinators] 1990. Silvics of North America: Volume 2. Hardwoods. United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), Forest Service, Agriculture Handbook 654 ( https://www.fs.usda.gov/treesearch/pubs/1548 ). 



Huegel, Craig, N.  2010.  Native plant landscaping for Florida wildlife.  University Press of Florida, Gainesville, FL. (wildlife uses).



Nelson, Gil.  2003.  Florida's Best Landscape Plants. Association of Florida Native Nurseries.



Osorio, Rufino. 2001. A gardener's guide to Florida's native plants.  University Press of Florida, Gainesville, FL.



Tras, Pamela. 2001.  Gardening for Florida's butterflies.  Great Outdoors Publishing, St. Petersburg, FL.



University of Tennessee Extension Service.  Desired Ph Range and salt tolerance of common nursery plants.    https://extension.tennessee.edu/mtnpi/Documents/handouts/Fertility/Desired-pH-Range-List.pdf   accessed 2021.



Wunderlin, R. P., B. F. Hansen, A. R. Franck, and F. B. Essig. 2021. Atlas of Florida Plants ( http://florida.plantatlas.usf.edu /).  Institute for Systematic Botany, University of South Florida, Tampa.

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