Sassafras albidum, Iroquois laurel

Iroquois laurel, in Latin Sassafras albidum, grows in the forests of eastern Canada and the United States. A true chameleon, this tree of the Lauraceae family changes color with the seasons.

Smaller than sassafras tzumu, Sassafras albidum reaches 25 meters in height in its natural habitat. In other latitudes, its growth is more modest. In its early years, this deciduous tree has a dense, spreading habit. Later, it adopts a pyramidal shape.

The trunk measures up to 60 centimetres in diameter. Its dark-brown bark is deeply furrowed.

The fragrant foliage gives off a lemony scent when crumpled. Several different leaf shapes can be found on the same tree and branch. Blades may be two-lobed, three-lobed or entire. They measure up to sixteen centimetres long and ten centimetres wide. Young shoots are greenish-yellow. They turn reddish-brown before turning yellow and golden in autumn.

In spring, before the foliage appears, yellow or greenish flowers bloom.

Female flowers give rise to dark-blue drupes containing a single seed.

Sassafras albidum is non-toxic to humans and animals. However, although it is used by Amerindians to make tea, the bark contains safrole, a chemical compound that proves harmful when consumed in large quantities.