Sassafras Tree

The sassafras tree is highly prized for its aromatic foliage. Found throughout most of Eastern the United States, the sassafras tree grows well in Hardiness Zones 4 through 9. They are very hardy and easy to grow.

Sassafras Tree Are Stunning In Landscapes

It can be planted in dense thickets to produce brilliant foliage displays in fall, or it can be planted alone as a shade or ornamental tree. When used in landscaping, seedlings and very young trees are preferred for transplanting, as older trees are generally difficult to transplant successfully. The tree's seeds are also suitable for germination. Seeds are collected in the autumn and planted the following spring.

It is a medium-fast grower, with most trees adding anywhere from 13 to 24 inches to their height each year. At maturity, sassafras reaches anywhere from 30 to 60 feet high and has a canopy that reaches 25 to 40 feet wide.

Sassafras Tree Likes Shade And Sun

They thrive in areas with at least four hours of direct sunlight each day but also tolerate partial shade. This tree prefers soil with a low pH but can live in a wide variety of soil types, including wet, acidic, and loamy soils. They are tallest when they are grown in well-drained, loamy soil or well-drained sandy soil. Sassafras is moderately drought tolerant and can withstand some exposure to salt.

The Sassafras Tree Foliage Turns Bright Orange In The Fall

Sassafras Tree has three types of leaves on its branches. A mitten shaped leaf, a three-lobed leaf and a simple oval-shaped leaf. The leaves transform into brilliant orange, purple, red, and yellow foliage in autumn. The fruit is a 1/2-inch purple berry that appears in autumn, and both male and female trees produce fragrant yellow blooms. The bark of the tree is reddish brown and furrowed, and at maturity, the tree has a rounded shape with thin branches.

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