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Sassafras (Sassafras albidum)
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Sassafras (Sassafras albidum)
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Sassafras (Sassafras albidum)
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POTTED PLANTS
An outstanding ornamental tree year round. Yellow to orange fall colors. Bird food. Host to spicebush swallowtail larvae.
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Item #:
SAALB
Availability:
Out of Stock.
Binomial
Sassafrass albidum
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Description
Questions and Answers
Sassafrass is an outstanding ornamental tree year-round. Birds love the berries, which are bluish-black on the end of short, red stems (pedicils). It is a host plant for several butterfly species, including swallowtails.
Historically, it has been used medicinally & in cooking (tea, jelly, root beer).
Sassafras is dioecious, which means male and female plants are separate. The female trees produce the fruit. In the wild, sassafras sends out root suckers and forms shrubby colonies; the suckers are easily controlled in a maintained landscape. It's also allelopathic and may inhibit certain plants from growing near its roots.
Uses: Medicinal, host plant, fall color, edible, birds, butterflies
Bloom time: April - May
Height: 30 to 50 feet
Space: 10 to 30 feet
Sun: Full sun to light shade
Moisture: Dry to average (prefers well-drained sites)
Q:
What happens if you plant just one and there isnt another sassafras with range to crosspollinate? Will the female still produce fruit? Will Butterflies still be attracted? can you tell between a male and female when the plant is in its 1st or 2nd year? Can you plant a young male and female together and encourage them to intertwine? I guess my question is really this: is this a good choice for where a single isolated tree is desired?
Asked by:
David Halpin
- 6/5/2018
A:
If you plant a female and it doesn't get pollinated, then it won't produce fruits (drupes). Nevertheless, the flowers will still be visited by pollinators--mainly small bees and several fly species.
Swallowtail butterflies will still be attracted because sassafras is a host plant for them. Their caterpillars feed on the foliage.
Because sassafras may pop up from underground roots, it may not be the best choice for a site where a single tree is desired. However, mowing around the tree will prevent a colony from forming.
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Answer provided by:
Administrator (8/7/2019)
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Q:
I had hoped to plant a red buckeye in the shade of a sassafras tree. Do you know how a red buckeye responds to the allelopathic effect of the sassafras? If the red buckeye is not compatible with the sassasfras, could you recommend another understory tree which is compatible. Thank you.
Asked by:
LaDonna
- 8/18/2019
A:
We're not entirely sure, but we suspect that the deep taproot of the buckeye would limit the effect of the sassafras. However, red buckeye would benefit from extra moisture while sassafras often grows in sunny, dry areas. Rhamnus caroliniana (Indian cherry/Carolina buckthorn) is a pretty hardy plant and might be a fair substitute--we're not sure about how it will respond to the allelopathy, though.
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Answer provided by:
Administrator (11/22/2019)
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Q:
I can't find Sassafras anywhere - is there a reason? Will you have it later in the Spring?
Asked by:
karen sue Stevens
- 3/3/2022
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