Blooms in early spring, with clusters of yellow flowers about 1–2″ long and up to ½” in diameter. Can be grown as a single-trunk tree or a dense, bushy thicket. Features bright to medium green leaves that are 3–7″ long with a unique mitten or three-lobe shape.

Why is sassafras banned?

Well, sassafras and sarsaparilla both contain safrole, a compound recently banned by the FDA due to its carcinogenic effects. Safrole was found to contribute to liver cancer in rats when given in high doses, and thus it and sassafras or sarsaparilla-containing products were banned.

Do all sassafras trees have berries?

In the summertime, sassafras will produce hard, black berries on a red, cup-shaped stem that birds like to eat. The berries are not abundant, and we rarely ever see them. Late in autumn, the sassafras leaves turn into a lovely rainbow of red, orange and yellow before falling.