Sassafras
Sassafras albidum
Three leaf shapes on one branch, brilliant orange and red in October, and twigs that smell of root beer. Birds flock to the blue berries.
Typically 1 quart–3 gal · $17–$85 · final price at pickup
- Thu, Aug 138 AM – 4 PM
- Fri, Aug 148 AM – 4 PM
- Sat, Aug 158 AM – 2 PM
No other tree in our catalog gives you three leaf shapes, root beer bark, and October color that rivals a New England maple.
Sassafras is one of the most distinctively shaped trees in eastern North America, with three different leaf forms on the same branch: oval, mitten-shaped, and three-lobed, all turning brilliant orange, red, and yellow in October. Scratch a twig and catch the scent: root beer and citrus, warm and clean. The whole tree smells like this when it comes out of the ground. Spring brings small yellow flowers before the leaves unfurl, drawing early-season pollinators. Summer gives you dense shade and textured canopy. Birds flock to the dark blue berries in late summer. Sassafras also spreads by root suckers, which makes it ideal for naturalizing or stabilizing slopes, and a nuisance if you need a tidy edge. Know where you're putting it, and enjoy everything else about it.
A nursery-grown plant, ready for the ground.
Healthy, container-grown sassafras propagated on-site at Hill House from regional genetics. Includes a one-page care card. We make every effort to supply plants as listed; occasionally we substitute a similar species of equal value.
- Sun
- Full sun
- Water
- Average
- Mature size
- 20–40 ft · 12–20 ft wide
- Bloom color
- Yellow
- USDA zones
- 4–9
- Family
- Lauraceae
- Native range
- Eastern North America
Care notes for sassafras.
Tolerates a wide range of soils, from dry sandy to slightly moist, but prefers well-drained and slightly acidic. Full sun to part shade. Deep taproot makes transplanting difficult. site it thoughtfully and leave it alone. Minimal pruning needed; remove suckers if containment is required. Once established, this tree is largely self-sufficient.
Pairs well with these.
Same light, same soil, same wildlife. Janet's picks to plant alongside sassafras.
Or skip the guesswork.
Curated packages bundle complementary species for an instant habitat. One reservation, one pickup day, a printed layout map.
Short on Space Package
For gardeners who have an abundance of passion but are short on space, this package features tidy, upright, clump-forming natives that behave and function well in small spaces.
Shade Bed Package
Ferns, sedges, and woodland natives that thrive under existing trees.
Birder’s Paradise Package
For the avid bird watchers and budding ornithologists in our community, the Birder’s Paradise Package consists of species that Hill House Nursery staff and longtime native plant advocates such as Doug Tallamy consider ‘premier bird garden plants’.