Leaf guide › Other hardwoods
Sassafras
Sassafras albidum
The mitten tree: three different leaf shapes on the same branch.
Updated
- 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.
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.
Common questions
What color does sassafras turn in fall?
Sassafras turns orange, red, yellow and purple in fall. The mitten tree: three different leaf shapes on the same branch.
When does sassafras change color?
It usually colors in 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, Appalachians, Mid-Atlantic, Southeast, Midwest.
See where the color is peaking today.
Open the foliage map