Sassafras - It's Not For Root Beer Any More

Sassafras tree leaves (Photo: Merlot)

Sassafras albidum

When you are doing maintaining work, especially when it's something that takes a lot of time and is tiring like swinging weeds, it's the small, unexpected, pleasurable moments that are like stepping stones across a creek, little hops that interrupt the stretches of physical labor and get you through the day.  One of those little moments and one of my favorites, is to catch a whiff of fresh sassafras on the breeze as the swing blade takes out sassafras saplings that are encroaching on the trail corridor.

Sassafras is a member of the laurel family and is aromatic: leaves, twigs and roots. The wood is brittle so larger trees are subject to breakage and indeed, it is fairly easy (if you don't have your loppers with you) to break off a sassafras branch that is hanging over the trail. Sassafras suckers from the roots and where you find one sassafras along the trail, you are likely to find many more. They are easy to swing blade when young and tender so if the trail is maintained regularly, they don't get big enough to cause a problem.

Most people associate the smell of sassafras with root beer and sassafras tea. Ground sassafras leaves also makes a thickening flavoring that is used in Cajun cooking called file (file gumbo). In the 1970's, the use of sassafras in making rootbeer was banned when it was discovered that the substance safrole that naturally occurs in sassafras can cause liver cancer (tumors) in rats.  Sassafras used in tea is considered 'natural' so that is still allowed. Safrole can also be a hallucinogenic in high doses and animals given high doses developed "difficulty walking, signs of nervousness and confusion, and difficulty with body temperature regulation" (from 2nd link) .

I had no idea sassafras was so interesting and such a complex subject. The next time I'm on the trail swinging weeds and catch a whiff of sassafras, I'll have more than root beer to think about.

For a fascinating, educational, and sometimes humorous read on all aspects of sassafras, including instructions for making file: 

Sassafras: Root Beer Rat Killer

Brief, but more specific information on medical issues regarding sassafras:

It's All Natural, But Sassafras Tea Can Cause Liver Cancer

Tree notes:

Sassafras: The Root Beer Tree

Constituents, Medical Actions & Usage:

Sassafras (from Botanical.com)

Note: 'Hat tip' to Karl H. who gave me the idea for this post when he mentioned to me on the last work trip that real sassafras was no longer in root beer due to the safrole/cancer issue (something I did not  know). This caught my interest and got me digging a little deeper into the subject of sassafras.