Meet Sassafras!
Did you know that sassafras has three shapes of leaves? The three types include a leaf with 3 lobes (left), 2 lobes which I call “the mitten” (center), and a tinier simple leaf (right). Leaves with higher lobes grow lower on the tree, and simple leaves are more likely to grow near the branch ends or higher up.
Sassafras is an ethnobotanical delight, with historical uses for its leaves, roots, bark, and wood. The leaves have recorded use as antiseptic, analgesic, and for food use such as curing meats, flavoring fats, and as a powdered thickening agent for soups and gumbo. The root has value as both a medicine (breaking fevers, colds, digestive) and flavoring compound for candy and the original root beer. The bark’s main flavoring compound, safrole, was banned by the FDA in 1960 due to a poorly conducted study which found it to be a carcinogenic compound to mice when dosed in unreasonably high amounts. It was probably banned because safrole is a precursor for MDMA (aka ecstasy) and the government hates when people have too much fun. I promise, sassafras candy is relatively safe in moderation. The wood is fairly rot resistant and thus has many uses in crafting and building, including boats, barrels, and interior furniture or construction.
This aromatic tree is a supportive host to many species, such as spicebush swallowtails, tiger swallowtails, pale swallowtails, Palamedes swallowtails, bobwhite quail, kingbirds, great crested flycatchers, phoebes, turkey, down woodpeckers, thrushes, vireos, mockingbirds, deep, porcupines, groundhogs, rabbits, black bears, and small mammals.
Go give your local sassafras trees a sniff and thank them for their bounty of food, crafting materials, habitat, entheogens, and rock ‘n roll.
Appalachian Native Plants Consulting 