Sassafras
Description
Leaves
Form
- Deciduous, alternate, simple
- Blunt-tipped
- Base wedge-shaped
- Prominently 3-veined above base
- Other veins pinnately arranged along the midvein
- Curving toward the tip of the leaf
- Unlobed or with 2–3 lobes
- All shapes occurring on the same tree
- Lower surface hairless or slightly hairy
- Spicy odour when bruised
Length
- 10–15 cm
Autumn colour
- Yellow to red
Margin
- Smooth
Buds
Form
- Terminal bud ovoid, several scales
- Lateral buds smaller than terminal
- Plump
- Leaf scars with 1 dash-like vein scar
Length
- Terminal bud 10–15 mm
Colour
- Greenish
Twigs
Form
- Stout, smooth
- Glossy, brittle
Colour
- Yellowish-green
Flowers
Form
- Small
- In loose clusters (racemes) at the base of new shoots
Colour
- Greenish-yellow
Structure
- Mostly dioecious
Floral timing
- Before the leaves unfold
Fruits
Form
- Berry-like with a large, stone-like seed
- In a cup on a long stalk
- Several to a cluster
Length
- 10–15 mm
Colour
- Dark blue
- Cup red
- Stalk red
Structure
- Drupe
Bark
Form
- Deeply grooved
- Heavy, soft, corky ridges
Colour
- Dark brownish
Wood
Texture
- Light, soft, weak
- Durable, aromatic
Colour
- Orange-brown
- Sapwood yellow
Morphology
- Coarse-grained
Size
Height
- To 20 m
Diameter
- To 50 cm
Tree form
Forest-grown
Trunk
- Many abruptly spreading, crooked, brittle branches
Crown
- Flat-topped, irregular, columnar
- Upper secondary lateral shoots usually longer than
- primary shoot internode
Root system
- Sparse, spreading
Habitat
Site
- Variable, nutrient-rich to poor
- In forest openings and edges
Light tolerance
- Shade-tolerant
Associated species
- Mixed with other broadleaf trees
Range
Rare in Canada
Southern Ontario, north of Lake Erie from southern Lake Huron to the west end of Lake Ontario
Distribution map

- Date modified: