Sassafras Identification: Bark, Growth, and Smell Guide

Identifying Sassafras Albidum without the presence of the classic “Dino paw” or mitten shaped leaves is a tricky proposition. Identifying a tree by bark alone is often the most difficult way to perform an ID and should be double checked if you are not confident with your identification. Places like reddit communities and apps like inaturalist are great ways to get the opinions of others on a dicey identification.

Looking at the trunk

The trunk of a sassafras tree may look nondescript, but it has some clues that help you determine if a particular specimen is Sassafras.

a close up image of sassafras bark — In the cracks of the bark you can usually tend to see some of the reddish color poking through.

Sassafras bark is thick and rough. There are deep crevasses in the bark reminiscent of canyons. The raised bark is generally wide and can vary depending on the intensity of sunlight it experiences. As you can see from the above images, there are primarily three colors present on this Sassafras trunk: gray, brown, and dull red/orange. I did not scrape off any of the bark to expose the brighter red under bark, but you can see glimpses in the next picture.

a damaged section of sassafras bark — This bark has been slightly damaged. Notice the more colorful reddish brown under the bark that has been rubbed away

The scraped areas of bark have some of that red color present.

New growth

The old growth of sassafras is a rather dull and muted image. The new growth couldn’t be any more different!

a bumpy green stick of sassafras — These bumps are present on new growth where it is starting the process of roughening up.

The new growth is a vibrant green that quite suddenly meets with the brown, gray, reddish older bark. You can see a little bit of where the two mingle, but the change still seems abrupt.

The dull dots on the new growth are the start of the mature protective bark. As such, the dots are raised and rough.

Identifying Sassafras by smell

Sassafras has a distinct smell that isn’t present in any of the other trees that look similar in winter. You can rub or break a twig on a sassafras tree to smell the fruity/spicy/root beer smell. An oak or boxelder wont have any sort of scent other than a earthy wood smell. If you are unable to reach any branches to utilize the “sniff test”, you can gently pry off one of the outer layers of a segment of bark. The bark should be thick enough that if you are gentle and precise, you can remove a bit of the bark without causing undue stress on the tree. Sassafras bark is quite pungent and will help you in determining the species in front of you.

visual cues

If you are looking through a cold winter forest for some sassafras, trunks and branches may not be the best way to find your quarry. Sassafras leaves are distinctive even after they’ve fallen. There have been many times where I’ve been moving through the woods and located a sassafras tree because I caught sight of a fallen leaf rather than a tree. Even in summer! It can take a while for the leaves to degrade to a point where they are unrecognizable. If you are pretty confident that you’ve ID’d a sassafras by the other clues, look at your feet. If you are surrounded by dino paw leaves, that may very well be your confirmation

Sassafras has a habit of propagating by root suckering. IE, the tree sends out roots, and sprouts in various places from the root. this offspring is a genetic clone, but serves as a backup for the main tree. This means that often you will find a colony of sassafras rather than one lone tree. This can be both a help for identification and later potentially harvesting. if you are after the root, you would be better served to take the smaller offshoots. The mother tree will replace the stock you have taken. If you take the mother tree, you may have put the whole grove in danger and shot yourself in the foot for later harvests. The mother tree can spare more resources to replenish what you’ve harvested, but the younger clones may not be able to.

Conclusion

Identifying trees in the winter is much tougher than being able to see the leaves that give a species its most distinctive features.

As always, it is best to be absolutely sure you know what you’re harvesting; both for yourself and your health and also for the plant life you are taking. It would be a shame to harvest something and not even be able to use it for what you wanted.

If waiting for spring and the distinctive leaves is what it takes for you to be able to identify a sassafras, or any plant, confidently then wait. take it as a chance to practice patience and the wisdom that comes with it.

Thank you for reading

-Noah