Family: Lauraceae, Laurel view all from this family

Description Aromatic tree or thicket-forming shrub with variously shaped leaves and narrow, spreading crown of short, stout branches.
Height: 30-60' (9-18 m).
Diameter: 1 1/2' (0.5 m), sometimes larger.
Leaves: 3-5" (7.5-13 cm) long, 1 1/2-4" (4-10 cm) wide. Elliptical, often with 2 mitten-shaped lobes or 3 broad and blunt lobes; not toothed; base short-pointed; long slender leafstalks. Shiny green above, paler and often hairy beneath; turning yellow, orange, or red in autumn.
Bark: gray-brown; becoming thick and deeply furrowed.
Twigs: greenish, slender, sometimes hairy.
Flowers: 3/8" (10 mm) long; yellow-green; several clustered at end of leafless twigs in early spring; male and female usually on separate trees.
Fruit: 3/8" (10 mm) long; elliptical shiny bluish-black berries; each in red cup on long red stalk, containing 1 shiny brown seed; maturing in autumn.

Habitat Moist, particularly sandy, soils of uplands and valleys, often in old fields, clearings, and forest openings.

Range Extreme S. Ontario east to SW. Maine, south to central Florida, west to E. Texas, and north to central Michigan; to 5000' (1524 m) in southern Appalachians.

Discussion The roots and root bark supply oil of sassafras (used to perfume soap) and sassafras tea, and have been used to flavor root beer. Explorers and colonists thought the aromatic root bark was a panacea, or cure-all, for diseases and shipped quantities to Europe. The greenish twigs and leafstalks have a pleasant, spicy, slightly gummy taste. Sassafras apparently is the American Indian name used by the Spanish and French settlers in Florida in the middle of the 16th century. This is the northernmost New World representative of an important family of tropical timbers.