Sassafras albidum

Sassafras albidum (Sassafras, White sassafras, Red sassafras, or Silky sassafras) is a Sassafras species native in eastern North America, from south Maine and Ontario, over to Iowa, and down to Texas and Florida. It was formerly found in Wisconsin, but is extirpated there as a native tree.

Description
It is a medium-sized deciduous tree that grows only 15-20 meters tall, and 60 cm in diameter. The bark on the trunk is dark reddish-brown. The shoots are bright yellow-green at first, but with time, grow to the reddish-brown color of the bark. The leaves are alternate, green to yellow, 10-16 cm long, and 5-10 broad. These leaves are found in 3 different shapes. The three-lobed leaves, unlobed elliptical leaves, and two-lobed leaves can sometimes be found on the same branch. In autumn, the leaves change to a color of yellow with some red. The flowers are produced low, racemes up to 5 cm long in spring shortly before leaves appear. These flowers are yellow-green yellow. Insects are the main way that the sassafras is pollinated. The fruit is a large blue-black drupe with one seed inside, born on a pedicel 2 cm long. The cotyledon is thick and fleshy. The roots are fleshy as well, and frequently create more root sprouts which can grow into a new tree.

Ecology
This tree grows well in rich, well-drained sandy loam with pH levels between 6 and 7, but can be grown in moist soil. The seedlings can live in shade, but the mature trees require full sunlight to grow well. They rapidly grow, especially the root sprouts, which can reach 1.2 meters in their first year. Root sprouts often create dense thickets that if untended, can form a clonal colony.

Cultivation
Due to the aromatic scent of the leaves, and the unusual shapes of the leaves, the tree is sometimes cultivated outside of North America in Europe and other places.

Wood
The wood is an orange-brown color, and was formerly used in the making of posts, rails, boats, ox-yokes, and is still used in the making of furniture.

Medicine and food use
An oil, called sassafras oil is taken from the bark of the root, or from the fruit. It is commonly used as a fragrance for perfumes, soaps, food, and aromatherapy. The smell of sassafras oil is an excellent mosquito and insect repellant.

The oil was used as a painkiller in dentistry, and to sooth eye inflammation.

Sassafras oil is also a preferred source of safrole, which is 75-80% of it.

The root is used to make tea, though most teas are artificially flavored due to FDA ban (see here for info). A yellow dye is made from the Sassafras. The shoots are used in the making of root beer.

The dried and ground leaves are known as Filé powder, and are used to thicken sauces and soups.

History
The name Sassafras was added by Nicolas Monardes in the 16th century is said to be a corruption of the spanish word for Saxifraga.