on this page. Sassafras tree grows to a height of 20-40 feet. Sassafras albidum is very cold-hardy when dormant, tolerating temperatures down to around -20°c, The young plant, however, and also the young shoots of older trees, are much more cold sensitive and can be badly damaged by late spring frosts[11. Adapted by the Creole culture of the southern United States, sassafras leaves have become an integral part in regional culinary dishes like gumbo. Other Names: Ague tree, Saxifrax, Cinnamonwood, Saloop, Smelling-stick Sassafras Herb Use . Widely distributed in North America, particularly from Southeast Canada in the eastern region of the USA to beyond Florida. It has an orange-brown bark, slender branches and oval leaves. Legislation . Sassafras Albidum from Burncoose Nurseries available online to buy - Information: very upright tree spreading by suckers with aromatic leaves and good autumn colour. Sassafras oil for example is obtained by steam distillation of the root bark of the sassafras tree. The Laurel family is comprised of 2000 – 4000 species in 55 genera of flowering plants in the Order Laurales. Sassafras albidum, ext. The genus is distinguished by its aromatic properties, which have made the tree useful to humans. Sassafras was used extensively for food and medicine by Native Americans long before European settlers arrived. Shrubby in youth, but matures to a dense, pyramidal tree up to 60' tall. Uses. On a diabetic diet plan, I have seen people successfully reverse this chronic condition just by adjusting what they eat and drink. Samples from 44 sassafras (Sassafras albidum) trees were crossdated (Crossdating Index 2) within and between two sites in Indiana. Regulatory process names 2 IUPAC names 2 Other identifiers 2 . A note of caution: The tree often grows among large poison ivy vines and the similar looking roots can be intertwined. Sometimes, sassafras is also used in lotions and perfumes. All of the trees in a colony may rise from the same parent. Sassafras albidum, commonly called sassafras, is a Missouri native, ornamental, small to medium-sized deciduous tree which occurs in wood margins, fence rows, fields, thickets and roadsides. It is the main ingredient in traditional root beer and sassafras root tea, and ground leaves of sassafras are a distinctive additive in Louisiana Creole cuisine. Publication Author Bean. Scientific Name(s): Laurus albidus, Sassafras albidum Common Name(s): Ague tree, Asari Radix et Rhizoma, Cinnamon wood, Saloop, Sassafras, Saxifras, Winauk . Dark-green leaves to 15cm (6in) long turn yellow to orange or purple in autumnYellow Its distinctive root-beer smell remains long after the root is cut and dried out. The Eastern Cherokee use the tea today for the same reason, but it is indicated especially for skin diseases, venereal diseases, ague or rheumatism. long (10-17 cm), turn brilliant shades of yellow, orange, and red in the fall. 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. The root bark is used to make medicine. All of the trees in a colony may rise from the same parent. Sassafras is the name applied to two trees native to eastern Asia and one native to eastern North America (Sassafras albidum). Sassafras is a deciduous, hardwood, ring-porous species occurring throughout the eastern United States as far west as the Great Plains, but sassafras is used rarely in dendrochronological studies. The Choctaw Indians first used the dried ground leaves as a seasoning and thickener. Red Elm, Ash. (See the article on filé powder, and a common thickening and flavoring agent in gumbo.) All parts of the plant are aromatic with the rough root being the most strongly scented. The inconspicuous male and female flowers are carried on separate trees and females can produce showy fruit Details S. albidum forms an upright tree, spreading by suckers. Trade Names. Spreads by root suckers to form large colonies in the wild. Sassafras has been used for a variety of illnesses, but the safrole in sassafras root bark and oil has been banned by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), including for use as a flavoring or … Mitten-shaped, oval or three-lobed, the bright green leaves, 4-7 in. A rare tree in the UK. Sassafras (Sassafras albidum) is native to most of the eastern U.S. Leaves were crushed and made into teas and poultices. Clinical Overview Use. Similar Woods. Oil from the Sassafras tree has been used as an antiseptic in dentistry, a pain killer, and been used to externally treat lice and insect bites (2). The roots, bark, leaves, new shoots, and pith from the branches of sassafras were used extensively for a wide variety of purposes by may Native American … When an extract from sassafras albidum bark is used on leishmaniasis parasites, it seems to be able to kill the parasites without negatively affecting the nearby cells. Sassafras albidum has long been a valuable commodity for the aromatic compounds it contains, used in the manufacture of a range of pharmaceutical and edible products, including the curious beverage sold in North America as root beer. Oils have been used in soaps and fragrances. Sassafras, also called Ague Tree, (species Sassafras albidum), North American tree of the laurel family (Lauraceae), the aromatic leaf, bark, and root of which are used as a flavouring, as a traditional home medicine, and as a tea. (18) 3. The roots yield about 2 percent oil of sassafras, once the characteristic ingredient of root beer. Introduction . Medicinal Uses: Sassafras albidum is indigenous to eastern North America. Sassafras Species: albidum Family: Lauraceae Uses (Ethnobotany): Native Americans used the oils in tonics for medical purposes. Sassafras (Sassafras albidum) Interesting Information About Plant: Sassafrass is a native plant to North America and was used by the Native Americans for various medicinal cures and a cooking spice (this was recorded as early as 1577). Title Trees and Shrubs Hardy in Great Britain. Sassafras, Golden Elm, Smelling Stick. One of the most common uses of sassafras, however, seems to involve the creation of sassafras … Sassafras or Leaves-that-look-like-a-shoe is a traditional Cherokee plant that was adopted by the European settlers, the Thompsonians, and the Eclectics used it as a tea for purifying the blood. 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. Noted for its remarkable foliage, Sassafras albidum (Sassafras) is an upright deciduous tree of dense, pyramidal to highly irregular habit with horizontal branches in cloud-like tiers. Safrole, and sassafras not certified as safrole-free, have been banned in the United States as food additives or flavoring agents by the FDA since 1976 due to safrole's designation as a carcinogen. Common names: Ague tree, Cinnamon wood, Saxifrax, Sassafrax, Sassafras varifolium. Sassafras is a plant. Not all of the versatile plant's uses are medicinal. Range . Genus of 3 species of generally dioecious, woodland deciduous trees. Origin. Print infocard. Used extensively, especially by native Americans where use was made of the whole plant for culinary, medical and dental practices. The leaves, dried and powdered, are the filé used in Creole cookery to thicken and flavor soups. Sassafras in Cooking. Sassafras albidum is an important ingredient in some distinct foods of the United States. Leaves and oils have been used in food products. Spreads by root suckers to form large colonies in the wild. Sassafras is a genus of three extant and one extinct species of deciduous trees in the family Lauraceae and it is native to eastern North America and eastern Asia. Sassafras bark was one of the first exports of the New World. Substance identity Substance identity. IV.H. Sassafras albidum is a medium-sized, deciduous tree native to eastern North America. Life Cycle: Woody Recommended Propagation Strategy: Root Cutting Seed Stem Cutting Often, the leaf was used to flavor and thicken soups and sauces. Sassafras oil is extracted from Sassafras albidum (also known as Sassafras officinale, S. variifolium and Laurus sassafras) of the Lauraceae family and is also known as sassafrax. The resulting steam distilled product contains about 90% safrole by weight. All parts of the tree are aromatic, and the oil is obtained from the peeled root. Genus Sassafras are deciduous trees with deeply fissured bark and glossy aromatic leaves which colour well in autumn. Although sassafras oil was once widely used as a fragrance and flavoring agent, safrole is now recognized as a carcinogen, meaning that is a cancer-causing agent. Sassafras – Sassafras albidum [1] Lauraceae: Laurel Family Steam distillation of the dried root bark produces an essential oil, consisting mostly of safrole, that once was extensively used as a fragrance in perfumes and soaps, food and for aromatherapy [2]. 1 Uses; 2 Parts Used; 3 Chemical Composition; 4 Common names; 5 Properties. Caution: May be harmful in excessive doses. The oil is dried by mixing it with a small amount of anhydrous calcium chloride. It is commonly found growing in fencerows, along the edges of woods, along roads or other right-of-ways, in forest openings, and in other sunny to mostly sunny locations. Vol 1 - 4 and Supplement. Sassafras Albidum - Uses - Legislation. Sassafras has been used as a sudorific and flavoring agent and for the treatment of eye inflammations. Sassafras has latin botanical name Sassafras Albidum and belongs to family Lauraceae. Sassafras leaf has a long tradition of use by indigenous peoples. It occurs throughout the eastern deciduous forest habita Since 1960 the United States and Canada have banned sassafras oil (other than trace amounts of safrole) from foods and medications. Deciduous - elliptic to ovate leaves can be entire or shallowly to deeply 3-lobed. Sassafras albidum, Lauraceae. North America. The main constituent of the oil is safrole (up to 80%). The wood used to make furniture and boats. Extractives and their physically modified derivatives such as tinctures, concretes, absolutes, essential oils, oleoresins, terpenes, terpene-free fractions, distillates, residues, etc., obtained from Sassafras albidum, Lauraceae. SASSAFRAS Sassafras albidum (Nutt.) Nees Plant Symbol = SAAL5 Contributed by: USDA NRCS National Plant Data Center Alternate Names Common sassafras, ague tree Uses Ethnobotanic: All parts of the sassafras plant are spicy and aromatic. Might Help Manage Diabetes. Safrole is now recognized by the United States Department of Agriculture as a potential carcinogen. Sassafras (Sassafras albidum) ... Herbal uses of Sassafras: All parts of sassafras have been used by Native Americans for food and medicine to treat a variety of illnesses and conditions. Sassafras albidum, commonly called sassafras, is a native, ornamental, small to medium-sized deciduous tree which occurs in wood margins, fence rows, fields, thickets and roadsides. 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