Also called ◼︎ white sassafras, ◼︎ red sassafras and silky sassafras.

Part of laurel  family Lauraceae.

Native to 🇺🇸 USA central, Southeast and East.   🗺 Map by county (🇺🇸 USA-48) (color key). 🗺 map today + with climate change (eastern 🇺🇸 USA).

Uses by native peoples
(Ethnobotany database)   Recipe.   Roots and bark are used to make tea.

Sassafras hosts caterpillars of 27 species
of butterflies and moths, in some areas.   This plant is also known to be a host for (in areas where invasive) 🐝︎ spotted lanternfly (SLF)  Lycorma delicatula.

Remarkable for its four forms of leaves:

  • 🍂︎ non-lobed;  and
  • 🖐♧ lobed left, right and both;
on the same tree!

Often grows in clonal colonies [1] — look around for other stems!

Learn more about sassafras Sassafras albidum

🔍︎ 🔍︎ images Discover Life Encyclopedia of Life Michigan Flora Missouri Botanical Garden Missouri Plants Native Plant Trust Flora of North America USDA PLANTS db USFS USFS Silvics Wikipedia

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🏠︎ 🌳︎ broadleaves, ╟ alternate, 🍁︎🍂︎ simple 🌳︎ broadleaves, ╟ alternate, 🍂︎ simple non-lobed ___ smooth ⚘ ❀ flowers
bark (on the trunk) 🌳︎🍃︎ broadleaf branches, ╟ alternate, list of attributes, no catkins thorns pods, w/terminal buds

🐝︎ spotted lanternfly (SLF)  Lycorma delicatula