Trees of Alabama and the Southeast Home Page

 Leaves are simple, alternate, deciduous, very aromatic, ovate to oval, and sometimes with 1-3 lobes or "mitten-like."  Young twigs are mottled red, black, and green, pubescent and aromatic.  The terminal bud is yellow-green and prominent with up to four overlapping scales.  Bark is dark green when young and brown-gray to red-brown, thick and ridged on larger trees.  Flowers are yellow in early spring and the fruit is a dark blue drupe on a red stalk.  Sassafras is found on a variety of sites in the eastern U.S. and is intolerant of shade.  The wood is used for fence posts and home-made fishing rods.  Oil of sassafras extracted from the roots is used in perfumes, tea and herbal remedies.  Many birds and mammals eat the fruit and bear and deer browse the foliage.

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 All text and photographs are intended for educational purposes only and are not for commercial use in any form.  All photographs are copyrighted by the named photographer(s), text copyright by Lisa Samuelson. © 2005, all rights reserved. Photographs by Mike Hogan or Todd Langston.