Sassafras albidum (Nutt.)Nees

Sassafras

Florida native

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An occasional small tree of mesic hammocks, dry bluffs and disturbed sites throughout the panhandle and north Florida south to around the I-4 corridor. The range extends throughout the eastern United States, west into Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas and Iowa. Also found in Ontario.
Sassafras can grow to 15m (~50 ft.) tall. The alternate leaves are 5-12cm 2 to 4-3/4 in.) long and may have one to three terminal lobes. The flowers are small, greenish-yellow and appear in clusters at the end of naked branches. Fruit is a fleshy, ovoid drupe, dark blue and 8-15mm (~1/3 to 6/10 in.) long.

Sassafras albidum is a member of the Lauraceae - Laurel family.

Atlas of Florida Vascular Plants (Institute for Systemic Botany) profile for this species

iNaturalist profile for this species

USDA Plant Profile for this species

Date record last modified: May 13, 2024