Sassafras
 

Mature Size, Growth, Longevity

Average mature size of 30-60' tall and 25-40' wide. Medium to fast growth rate, 10-12' over a 5-8 year period.

Native Range

Kentucky Native — Maine to Ontario and Michigan, south to Florida and Texas. Cultivated 1630.

Flower and Fruit Details

Flowers are yellow, somewhat fragrant, in terminal 1-2" long racemes, occurring in April, usually dioecious. Fruits are dark blue drupes, 0.5" long, ripening in September but quickly falling to ground or eaten by birds.

Leaf and Bark Features

Fall color includes shades of yellow to deep orange to scarlet and purple, usually deep red at Boone County Arboretum. Bark is dark reddish-brown, almost mahogany, deeply ridged and furrowed, forming flat, corky ridges.

Culture and Care

Move balled/burlapped in early spring into moist, loamy, acid, well-drained soil. Can invade abandoned fields, and sprouts from roots can form thick colonies. Zones 4-9. Remarkably free of problems except for occasional iron chlorosis and minor cases of cankers, leaf spots, mildew, wilt, root rot, Japanese beetle, promethea moth, sassafras weevil, and scales.

Suggested Uses

Excellent for naturalized plantings, roadsides, and home landscaping; with a little extra cultural effort one will be rewarded manyfold.

Taxa and Plants of this Species at BCA