Common Sassafras

LEAVES: Alternate, simple 4″-6″ long, smooth, dark green above, much lighter beneath, characteristically aromatic when crushed. Usually three types can be found on a tree: entire, 2-lobed and 3-lobed (rarely 5-lobed).

TWIGS: Bright green, sometimes reddish, smooth and shiny; large white pith. End bud much larger than side ones, with many loose scales.

FRUIT: A berry, dark blue, shiny, about 1/2″ in diameter, on a red stem enlarged at the point of attachment; borne in clusters. Yellow flowers appear before the leaves unfold.

BARK: Young trees furrowed, greenish, changing to brown; inner bark salmon colored; older trees show deep fissures extending long distances up the trunk.

GENERAL: A small to medium-sized tree, to 50′ high, with crooked branches; often spreading by root suckers. Its roots, leaves, twigs and fruit have a spicy odor; the oil contained in these parts is used for a “tea,” in medicines, perfumes, etc. Wood used chiefly for fuel and fence posts.