Sassafras: The root beer tree

As the blooms of the Bradford Pear begin to fall to the ground, the yellow blooms of the Sassafras are shining bright. Sassafras (Sassafras albidum) is one of the easier trees to identify by its leaves. Sassafras leaves can have a mitten shape, with either a left thumb or a right thumb, or the sassafras leaf can be three-lobed. It can also have an oval, unlobed leaf. Usually, you'll see all three shapes on the same tree. Yes, all three shapes on a single limb...amazing.

Bloomsbury hosts one Sassafras Tree. It took us several investigating attempts to identify the tree until the very distinctive leaves appeared.

Yesterday, one of our visitors recalled that her Grandfather cut himself a toothbrush from a Sassafras Tree each year. She said he would carve/cut it and use it each year until it was all worn out. He professed that it voided all tooth decay.

Until the FDA outlawed the Sassafras oil use, it was the primary ingredient in Root Beer. Many home micro brewers continue to use Sassafras oil today!