Leaf guide › Other hardwoods
Sassafras
Sassafras albidum
The mitten tree: three different leaf shapes on the same branch.
- Fall color
- OrangeRedYellowPurple
- Turns
- Mid-season
- Leaves
- Alternate (one per spot)
- Size
- 3–6 in. long
- Found in
- New England & New York, Appalachians, Mid-Atlantic, Southeast, Midwest
How to recognize it
- Leaves come in three shapes on one tree: oval, two-lobed mitten, and three-lobed.
- Smooth edges with no teeth.
- Crushed leaves and twigs smell spicy and citrusy.
- Fall color ranges from salmon orange to red and purple.
Where to find it
Look for it at field edges, along roadsides and fences, and in young woods, often in small thickets that sprout from a shared root system.
Where you’ll see it this fall
Sassafras is one of the main trees in the fall color at these destinations. Dates are the typical peak.
Arkansas: Eureka Springs (Oct 28), Hot Springs (Nov 3)
Indiana: Indianapolis (Oct 27), Nashville (Oct 28)
Kentucky: Lexington (Oct 28), Red River Gorge (Oct 28), Louisville (Oct 30)
Missouri: Branson (Oct 31)
New Jersey: Cape May (Nov 6)
Ohio: Columbus (Oct 27), Hocking Hills (Oct 27), Cincinnati (Oct 29)
West Virginia: Fayetteville (Oct 24)
Easy to confuse with
Mulberry
Also grows mitten-shaped leaves, but mulberry edges are toothed and the stems bleed milky sap.
Worth knowing
Sassafras root was the original flavoring for root beer. Look for small, shrubby sassafras along field edges and roadsides, where it often turns bright orange. Crushed leaves and twigs have a spicy, citrusy scent.
Common questions
What color does sassafras turn in fall?
Sassafras turns one of the widest ranges of colors of any tree: orange, red, yellow, and purple, often on the same branch.
When does sassafras change color?
Around the middle of the local season, close to overall peak.
How can you tell sassafras from mulberry?
Mulberry: Also grows mitten-shaped leaves, but mulberry edges are toothed and the stems bleed milky sap. Sassafras: Leaves come in three shapes on one tree: oval, two-lobed mitten, and three-lobed.
Where does sassafras grow?
In the lower 48, look for it in New England & New York, the Appalachians, the Mid-Atlantic, the Southeast, and the Midwest.
See where the color is peaking today.
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