Sassafras seeds

The sassafras tree (Sassafras albidum) is a fascinating native species that can surprise you with its size under ideal conditions. While the vast majority of sassafras trees you will encounter in fields or woods are small, shrubby understory trees or dense thickets under 30 to 40 feet tall, the tree is capable of reaching magnificent heights. In optimal settings with deep, rich, moist, and well-drained acidic soils, (and full sun) a mature sassafras can soar into the upper canopy, reaching 80 to over 100 feet tall with massive trunk diameters spanning up to 4 feet. The best place to find massive sassafras trees are arboretums or open grown landscape specimens. 

Beyond its size variability, the tree is easily recognized by its highly unique foliage, which features three distinct leaf shapes on the exact same branch: a smooth oval, a two-lobed mitten, and a three-lobed shape. Every part of the sassafras is intensely aromatic, releasing a sweet, nostalgic scent reminiscent of root beer or citrus whenever a twig is broken or a leaf is crushed. In the autumn, these small or large trees alike put on one of the most spectacular displays in the forest, transforming the landscape with vibrant, glowing hues of bright yellow, fiery orange, deep scarlet, and purple.

Germination instructions:

The most critical thing to recognize when working with sassafras seed is that they possess a deep physiological dormancy. To overcome this and trigger germination, they require a prolonged period of cold, moist stratification to mimic natural winter conditions.

In the wild, birds eat the dark blue fruits and drop the clean seeds, which naturally stratify under the winter leaf litter. If you are starting them at home, fall planting outdoors works well because nature takes care of the chilling process for you. Simply plant the clean seeds right into a nursery bed or container before the ground freezes.

If fall planting is not an option for any reason, you can easily replicate winter inside your refrigerator. Upon arrival seal your seeds inside a plastic zip-lock freezer bag. Place the bag in the fridge for roughly 90 to 120 days. While they are chilling, check the bag periodically for any mold growth or excessive moisture. A tiny bit of condensation on the plastic is completely fine, but you do not want the seeds sitting in puddles of water.

Once spring arrives or your cold treatment finishes, sow the seeds about 1/4" to 1/2" deep in a well-draining, acidic soil blend. Sassafras saplings are famous for putting immense energy into developing a thick, deep taproot early on. Because they focus so much energy underground, don't be discouraged if top growth seems slow at first. Due to this delicate taproot system, it is highly recommended to sow your seeds directly into deep tree pots, air pruning beds or their permanent landscape locations to avoid transplant shock later on.

Seeds collected in PA by our friend Mark. Each pack contains 50 seeds.