American sassafras, Fennel Wood, Ague tree
Sassafras albidum

Family: Lauraceae

What it is like

A small tree. It grows up to 20-30 m high. The trunk is 50 cm across. The branches are spreading, crooked and brittle. The bark is orange-brown. The leaves are alternate and simple. The leaves fall off during the year. The leaves are 10-15 cm long. They have a blunt tip and the base is wedge shaped. The leaves have 3 prominent veins. There may be 1, 2 or 3 lobes to the leaf. Leaves turn yellow or red in autumn. They have a spicy odour when bruised. The flowers are small and greenish-yellow. The male and female flowers are often on separate trees. They occur in loose clusters at the base of new shoots. These are 5 cm long. The fruit are like berries. They are 10-15 mm long and dark blue. They have one large stone-like seed. The fruit is in a red cup on a long red stalk.

There are 3 Sassafras species.

Where it is found

It is a temperate plant. It grows naturally in thickly wooded areas in Eastern North America. It can grow on a variety of soils. It can tolerate shade. It grows on the edges of mixed forests. It cannot tolerate alkaline soils. It suits hardiness zones 5-9.

Countries/locations it is found in

Australia, Britain, Canada, Europe, India, Mexico, North America, Turkey, Türkiye, USA

How it is used for food

CAUTION The safrole which gives flavour to root beer can cause cancer, but it is only one fourteenth as carcinogenic as ethanol in ordinary beer. The oil from the roots is used to flavour root beer. The roots are added to maple syrup and brewed into a tea. The spicy bark of the trunk and roots is dried and used for flavouring. The leaves are used for tea. They are also added to soups. The young buds are eaten.

Edible parts

Root, leaves, bark

How it is grown

Plants are grown from suckers from the roots. They can also be grown by seeds or cuttings.

It is only a short lived plant.

Its other names

Local names

Silky sassifras

Synonyms

Laurus albida Nutt.; Laurus sassafras L.; Sassafras officinale Nees & Eberm.; Sassafras variifolium Kuntze;