Sassafras Tree (Sassafras Albidium) – 3 Gallon Pot

There are so many fine attributes for the Sassafras tree that it’s difficult to know where to start. Very handsome, colorful, and exceptionally easy to grow, the Sassafras is a North American native tree that is sure to please. For starters, every part of this tree is fragrant, even the roots, which at one time were used to flavor root beer. In spring, abundant clusters of fragrant yellow-chartreuse flowers are followed by the emergence of highly attractive 4 to 7 inch long that come in three shapes: ovate, mitten-shaped and three-lobed. In summer, abundant clusters of attractive blue-black berries held in bright red cup-shaped receptacles adorn the tree, Fall brings yet another color show when the leaves turn shades of yellow, orange, red and purple. Matures to a dense, pyramidal tree up to 60′ tall but is usually seen at about half that size in landscapes. The mahogany-brown bark is deeply ridged and furrowed providing winter interest in the landscape.

Sassafras is the American Indian name used by the Spanish and French settlers in Florida in the middle of the 16th century and its oils were freely used in tonics as medical tonics. It was traditionally used, along with other substances like licorice root, mint, nutmeg, and more, to flavor root beer. Culinary uses have included sassafras tea, root beer flavoring and a gumbo-thickening agent called filé. 

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