Sassafras (Sassafras albidum)

Plantae>Magnoliophyta>Magnoliopsida>Laurales>Lauraceae>Sassafras albidum (Nutt.) Nees

	Sassafras is a fairly common early-successional small tree or large shrub (in the Durham area) with aromatic leaves, twigs, and roots. Leaves on mature trees are normally unlobed, but those of young trees are quite variable, and often have one or two lobes. The roots are used for tea and root beer; the leaves for thickening soups (gumbo). The leaves are eaten by caterpillars of the Spicebush Swallowtail (Papilio troilus).
	Sassafras flowers in early spring, before leafout. Carroll Co., VA 4/17/04.
	Flower detail. Carroll Co., VA 4/17/04.
	Fall foliage color varies from yellow to deep red. Carroll Co., VA 9/23/06.
	Bark of a large tree. Sassafras is usually short-lived in the Piedmont of North Carolina and rarely survives to become a medium-large tree, as it does in the mountains. This one was photographed in Carroll Co., Virginia, near the Blue Ridge Parkway.
	A young tree. Carroll Co., VA 9/24/06.

Revised 1/23/07 cwcook@duke.edu