Sassafras albidum

Sassafras albidum, also known as the Iroquois Laurel, is a stunning deciduous North American bush that is magnificent in autumn with its beautifully coloured foliage. Its spring flowering is insignificant, with pale yellow-green flowers that are apetalous. Its cracked bark and shiny green leaves are very aromatic and have a spicy fragrance. Forming a tree in its native regions, this bush, with its spreading habit, shows rapid growth and a slight tendency to sucker in our climates. It should be planted in a non-calcareous, deep, and moist soil, in a sunny location.

Sassafras albidum, also called Common Sassafras or 'White Sassafras' across the Atlantic, is a beautiful deciduous tree of the laurel family that reaches a respectable size of 15 to 20m (49ft - 65ft) in height and develops a trunk with a diameter of 60cm (23.6in) in its native range, which is the forests of the eastern coast of the United States. In our climates, it behaves more like a large bush with a spreading habit, reaching a height of 10m (33ft) and a spread of 5m (16ft). It has a rapid growth rate, growing up to 1.20m (4ft) per year from planting and reaching a height of 4.50m (14 -15ft) in 4 years.

The crown is made up of fine branches grouped in clusters, with yellow and mucilaginous bark when young. They bear buds in spring that unfold into oval or obovate leaves, entire or more or less lobed, with all three forms coexisting on the same individual. They are light green to yellowish in colour, shiny, and measure 10 to 16cm (3.9 - 6.3in) in length and 5 to 10cm (2 - 3.9in) in width. This foliage takes on warm yellow and red hues in autumn. The small petal-less flowers appear in spring, just before the emergence of the leaves, in March-April. They are pendulous, arranged in small clusters that are 5cm (2in) long and not very colourful. Sassafras is mostly dioecious; male plants are distinct from female plants. Male flowers have 9 stamens, and females have a style surrounded by 6 sterile stamens. Pollination is carried out by insects, allowing female plants to produce small black-blue drupe fruits, 1cm (0.4in) in size, containing a single seed that will be dispersed by birds. The bark of this bush begins to crack deeply at the age of 2 to 3 years. On mature specimens, it is thick and a deep reddish-brown. All parts of the plant are aromatic: when crushed, they give off a sweet, spicy, woody scent, reminiscent of camphor, thanks to the essential oil they contain. This powerful but dangerous volatile oil is now used with the utmost caution in aromatherapy. Its roots are thick and fleshy, bearing deeply embedded dormant buds that can regenerate new bushes in certain circumstances.

 

Sassafras albidum can be planted as a specimen tree or to provide shade for a heather, azalea, camellia, and Pieris bed in acid soil. You can associate it with the Persian Ironwood, which also has magnificent autumn foliage, to create a vibrant horizon at the borders of your garden. In neutral, well-drained soil, you can use it, for example, in a mixed hedge, accompanied by Japanese Maples, 'Grace' Smoke Bush (Cotinus coggygria 'Grace'), and Winged Euonymus (Euonymus alatus) to create a dazzling grove from September to November. Finally, know that its fragrance will deter mosquitoes and keep them away.

Sassafras Iroquois is also a medicinal plant, which has been used for a long time in North America by local populations. In-depth studies have demonstrated its anti-nicotine, anti-rheumatic, dermatological, diuretic, acaricidal, and antibacterial properties. The presence of a specific molecule called safrole in its essential oil makes it toxic, and long-term ingestion can be lethal.