What is Sassafras?

Sassafras is a native to a woodlands of the southeastern United States. When you see sassafras in the fall it is a wonderful sign to see all of the orange, yellow, red and purple hues.

Sassafras is an ideal plant for native or naturalistic landscapes, and it can be used in a traditional setting. Sassafras grows good in full to partial sun and they do good in full to partial sun and they do good in well-drained, sandy-loam acid soil. It can be used in a background or mixed border landscape.

Crushed dried leaves are used for file seasoning and also used as a flavoring for root beer, while roots provide the flavor for sassafras tea. The fruit is quickly eaten by birds and other wildlife. There are some disagreement as to the toxic qualities of the root oils (specifically safrole, the active alkaloid in sassafras tea) but the leaves are not considered poisonous.

Sassafras is a very interesting and showy plant.

The hardiness zones that you can grow sassafras is 4-9

Sassafras's color is yellow flower clusters in early spring, dark blue one-half inch in diameter fruit, but most colorful display is the yellow, red, purple and orange fall color.

Sassafras needs to be fertilize with a balanced slow-release fertilizer should be applied when you plant and in early spring just prior to the emergence of new growth in the first couple years.

When you are out buying sassafras plants always look for healthy plants in 1-3 gallon containers. They will grow good in your landscape size within a few years.

Sassafras is a good choice to buy, if you live in the right zones, to change up your landscapes. The reason of that is that sassafras can be a refreshing break from having only evergreen shrubs in today's landscapes.