Sassafras (Sassafras albidum) has slender rounded twigs that are bright green in color. If you scratch the surface of the twig, you will smell a spicy odor. The terminal buds are (left photo) shaped like a ball. Flower buds are larger than leaf buds. This tree has opposite simple leaves that vary in shape from being unlobed to having one lobe or two. All of the leaves have smooth edges. Sassafras has yellow flowers (right photo) that are among the earliest colors we see in the forest in spring. The bark of mature sassafras trees is blocky, reddish in color and spicy in odor. The tree also has buttressed roots which resemble toes. Sassafrass is often the target of woodpeckers because its wood is soft. The wooden signs on our lumber kiln, alternative energy center and chenter for sight-impaired children are all made of sassafras wood from Clay Hill Memorial Forest. CLICK on any image to enlarge it.
