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Sassafras

Sassafras albidum

Summary 6

Sassafras albidum (sassafras, white sassafras, red sassafras, or silky sassafras) is a species of Sassafras native to eastern North America, from southern Maine and southern Ontario west to Iowa, and south to central Florida and eastern Texas. It occurs throughout the eastern deciduous forest habitat type, at altitudes of sea level up to 1,500 m (5000 feet). A distinctive feature of Sassafras is that its leaves come in three different shapes, all of which can be on the same branch; three-lobed leaves, unlobed elliptical leaves, and two-lobed leaves

All parts of the Sassafras albidum plant have been used for human purposes, including stems, leaves, bark, wood, roots, fruit, and flowers. Sassafras albidum, while native to North America, is significant to the economic, medical, and cultural history of both Europe and North America. In North America, it has particular culinary significance, being featured in distinct national foods such as traditional root beer, filé powder, and Louisiana Creole cuisine. Sassafras albidum was an important plant to Native Americans of the southeastern United States , who used it for culinary and medicinal purposes,

Sources and Credits

  1. (c) Tom Potterfield, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-SA), https://www.flickr.com/photos/tgpotterfield/12126922784/
  2. (c) Mechy Myagi, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), https://www.flickr.com/photos/mechymyagi/267417773/
  3. (c) Tom Potterfield, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-SA), https://www.flickr.com/photos/tgpotterfield/26820084293/
  4. (c) dogtooth77, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-SA), https://www.flickr.com/photos/53817483@N00/2864098424/
  5. (c) amy_buthod, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-SA), https://www.flickr.com/photos/akbuthod/9539781773/
  6. Adapted by Tom Pollard from a work by (c) Wikipedia, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA), https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sassafras_albidum

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