Sassafras Sassafras albidum (Nuttall) Nees    Synonyms: Sassafras sassafras, Sassafrass albidum var. molle.
Kingdom Plantae   >   Division Tracheophyta   >   Class Magnoliopsida   >   Order Laureles   >   Family Lauraceae   >   Genus Sassafras   

Status:

"Southwestern Maine to Michigan and Illinois, south to Virginia and Arkansas" (Reed, 1964).

Relationships:

A host plant for Spicebush Swallowtail and Eastern Tiger Swallowtail. Host plant for various moth species including Imperial Moth, Tulip-tree Silk Moth, Promethea Moth, Io Moth, Woograin Leafroller Moth, Spotted Apatelodes Moth, Tulip-tree Beauty Moth, Signate Melanolophia Moth, Sassafras Caloptilia Moth, Fluid Arches Moth, and Evergreen Bagworm Moth, (Database of World's Lepidopteran Host Plants).

There are 875 records in the project database.

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The bark of a mature Sassafras in Wicomico Co., Maryland (1/25/2014). Photo by Jim Brighton. (MBP list)

Sassafras in Talbot Co., Maryland (2/19/2017). Photo by Jared Satchell. (MBP list)

Sassafras at Fort Smallwood Park, Maryland (5/5/2012). Note the three different shapes of leaf on the same tree: rounded, three-pronged, and "mitten"-shaped. Photo by Bill Hubick. (MBP list)

Sassafras at Fort Smallwood Park, Maryland (5/5/2012). Photo by Bill Hubick. (MBP list)

Sassafras blooming in Anne Arundel Co., Maryland (4/14/2016). Photo by Robert Ferraro. (MBP list)

Sassafras in Kent Co., Maryland (4/27/2014). Photo by Bill Hubick. (MBP list)

Sassafras growing in Caroline Co., Maryland (4/26/2016). Photo by Wayne Longbottom. (MBP list)

Sassafras in Queen Anne's Co., Maryland (4/25/2015). Photo by Nancy Martin. (MBP list)

Sassafras in Anne Arundel Co., Maryland (4/13/2011). Photo by Bill Harms. (MBP list)

Sassafras flowers in Washington Co., Maryland (4/21/2013). Photo by Jim Brighton. (MBP list)

Sassafras with unripe fruit in Anne Arundel Co., Maryland (7/15/2012). The fruit will ripen to have red stalks and black berries. Sassafras fruit is a popular food source for birds. Photo by Bill Hubick. (MBP list)

Sassafras in Caroline Co., Maryland (7/15/2020). (c) Wayne Longbottom, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC). Photo by Wayne Longbottom. (MBP list)

Closeup of the fruit of Sassafras in Worcester Co., Maryland (8/4/2012). Photo by Jim Brighton. (MBP list)

Sassafras growing in Anne Arundel Co., Maryland (10/26/2019). Photo by Matthew Beziat. (MBP list)

Fruit of Sassafras in Frederick Co., Maryland (9/23/2015). Photo by Richard Orr. (MBP list)

Sassafras in Caroline Co., Maryland (6/5/2016). Photo by Wayne Longbottom. (MBP list)

Flowering Sassafras in Prince George's Co., Maryland (4/17/2016). Photo by Matthew Beziat. (MBP list)

Sassafras in Allegany Co., Maryland (4/29/2020). (c) ptbrnchbob, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC). Photo by ptbrnchbob via iNaturalist. (MBP list)

Sassafras growing in St. Mary's Co., Maryland (5/8/2016). Photo by Tyler Bell. (MBP list)

Sassafras in Garrett Co., Maryland (10/3/2013). Photo by Boyer and McDowell. (MBP list)

Sassafras in Garrett Co., Maryland (6/2/2014). Photo by Jim Stasz. (MBP list)

Sassafras in Allegany Co., Maryland (5/9/2016). Photo by Kimberly Booth. (MBP list)

Sassafras in Caroline Co., Maryland (10/11/2020). (c) Wayne Longbottom, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC). Photo by Wayne Longbottom. (MBP list)

Sassafras in Anne Arundel Co., Maryland (8/4/2011). Photo by Bill Harms. (MBP list)

Sassafras in Howard Co., Maryland (4/22/2010). Photo by Bill Harms. (MBP list)

Sassafras (young plant in late fall) in Anne Arundel Co., Maryland (11/21/2015). Photo by Bill Hubick. (MBP list)

Sassafras in Harford Co., Maryland (10/30/2016). Photo by Dave Webb. (MBP list)

Sassafras in Howard Co., Maryland (11/1/2016). Photo by Bill Hubick. (MBP list)

Sassafras in Anne Arundel Co., Maryland (10/20/2010). Photo by Bill Harms. (MBP list)

Sassafras in Baltimore City, Maryland (10/27/2012). Photo by Matthew Beziat. (MBP list)

Sassafras in bloom in Howard Co., Maryland (7/25/2017). Collected and processed by Helen Lowe Metzman. Photo by USGS PWRC. (MBP list)

Sassafras in bloom in Howard Co., Maryland (7/25/2017). Collected and processed by Helen Lowe Metzman. Photo by USGS PWRC. (MBP list)

Sassafras in bloom in Howard Co., Maryland (7/25/2017). Collected and processed by Helen Lowe Metzman. Photo by USGS PWRC. (MBP list)

Sassafras in Worcester Co., Maryland (11/22/2020). (c) Wayne Longbottom, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC). Photo by Wayne Longbottom. (MBP list)

Sassafras in Baltimore Co., Maryland (4/29/2019). (c) greaterbaltimorewilderness, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC). Photo by greaterbaltimorewilderness via iNaturalist. (MBP list)

Sassafras in Baltimore Co., Maryland (6/20/2020). (c) Dwight Johnson, all rights reserved. Photo by Dwight Johnson. (MBP list)

Sassafras in Caroline Co., Maryland (4/20/2020). (c) Wayne Longbottom, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC). Photo by Wayne Longbottom. (MBP list)

Sassafras in Baltimore Co., Maryland (4/26/2020). (c) Emily L. Stanley, all rights reserved. Photo by Emily Stanley. (MBP list)

Sassafras in Montgomery Co., Maryland (9/23/2020). (c) Katja Schulz, some rights reserved (CC BY). Photo by Katja Schulz via iNaturalist. (MBP list)

Sassafras in Caroline Co., Maryland (4/26/2016). (c) Wayne Longbottom, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC). Photo by Wayne Longbottom. (MBP list)

Sassafras growing in Harford Co., Maryland (11/27/2016). Photo by Dave Webb. (MBP list)

Sassafras in Baltimore Co., Maryland (4/29/2017). Photo by Jim Brighton. (MBP list)


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