In Chicago and the collar counties we have had deep ground frost over the past two winters due to the lack of snow cover resulting in less survival of certain pests especially jap beetle larva thus less mature jap beetles. Behind Linden, Sassafras is a favorite food source of jap beetle. This has allowed the canopy on my Sassafras to flourish this year thus putting on a spectacular color show now (mid-October, early November) of red, orange, and yellow that can flicker like fire in the wind.
Its range is Maine, southern Ontario to Iowa, south to Texas and east to Florida. In parts of this range, it attains height of 70’ with common height of 40’-50’ in Illinois and a trunk diameter of 24” +. It commonly grows in a variety of sites from rich to poor soil, in forest openings and edges being shade tolerant.
Leaves are alternate, simple blade of three different shapes of 3-lobed, 2-lobed, or unlobed that taper to base and up to 6” long. The margins are without teeth along edges, green in spring and summer turning orange, red, and yellow in autumn. It is also distinguished by aromatic leaves and twigs when crushed.
The flowers are dioecious meaning the staminate (male-pollen) and the pistillate (female-seed) develop on different trees. The green-yellowish flower clusters open when the leaves are unfolding. They are not wind pollinated but have sticky pollen, primarily pollinated by bees, some butterflies for nectar, moths at night, certain beetles, and lastly by flies. In Illinois, Sassafras foliage is a food source for the following: Eastern Tiger Swallowtail Butterfly caterpillars, Black & blue Spicebush Swallowtail caterpillars, Red-Spotted Purple Butterfly larvae, Sassafras Tussock Moth larvae, Promethea moth larvae, and leafcutter bees collecting leaves for nesting material.
The fruit is berry-like, 1/3” long, dark blue to black with a stone-like seed in a red-orange cup on a 2” long stem. Berries are high in fat, critical to nutrition and sustenance for birds during migration of long journeys. They are frequented by bluebirds, bobwhites, flycatchers, wild turkeys, catbirds, flickers, woodpeckers, thrushes, vireos and small mammals.
The bark and twigs are green when young, becoming thick, reddish brown, and deeply furrowed with age. The wood being semi-ring porous is light, soft, and soil durable used for posts, rails, pallets, firewood, and up until 1960 when the FDA banned the use of sassafras oil (safrole) in the use in food due to its carcinogenic nature.
Thickets will form by means of root suckers as the tree matures in natural areas but less in garden/lawn settings. So, for the autumn color, the nature food source, and the amazement when showing young children, the aromatic scent of leaves and twigs is well worth the addition to any property.
Pierre Hatch, ISA Certified Arborist IL-4658A
Plant Health Care Department
