Audubon® Native Sassafras Treeling
Bower & Branch Trees and Plants
Audubon® Plants for Birds: Sassafras albidum
Regular priceThis plant is not available at this time through Bower & Branch. We provide this plant profile for reference only.
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WONDERFUL FALL FOLIAGE WITH BEAUTIFULLY FRAGRANT FLOWERS
FEATURES:
May Benefit & Attract: thrushes, waxwings, wood warblers, finches, mockingbirds & thrashers, chickadees & titmice, orioles, cardinals & grosbeaks, crows & jays, sparrows, nuthatches, vireos, hummingbirds, woodpeckers, and wrens
- In the spring, pretty and aromatic flowers blossom
- In the fall, foliage turns a vibrant yellows, reds, and oranges
- Leaves are aromatic when bruised or cut
- This tree is very tough, often planted in restoration sites
- The perfect food source for deer, woodchucks, rabbits, bears, and many species of songbirds
- This bird-friendly native plant provides food and shelter for local and migrating birds and other wildlife
- All Audubon® branded tree and plants are grown 100% Neonic-free by Bower & Branch, making these plants safer for the birds and safer for the environment
- The National Audubon Society protects birds and the places they need, today and tomorrow
- Hand Selected, Fresh from the Grower
- Due to federal and state laws, we are unable to ship to: AL, AR, MS
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Growth Facts
- Hardiness Zone: 4-9
- Mature Height: 30-60' tall
- Mature Width: 30-40' wide
- Exposure: Full Sun/Part Shade
- Spacing: 30-40' apart
Why plant Audubon® Native Sassafras Treeling?
Everybody loves Sassafras for its festive fall foliage. This flashy native brings a punch of color to forest edges all over the eastern U.S. But bird-lovers see even more. They know that Sassafras is a welcome sight to birds, too! Mockingbirds, cedar waxwings, robins, vireos, bluebirds, cardinals, and many others flock to the dark blue berries that form on female trees. And insect-eating birds seek out the caterpillars and other six-legged creatures that feed on Sassafras leaves. Satisfy your desire for backyard beauty while supplying valuable habitat for our struggling songbirds. Delightful!
Common throughout much of the eastern U.S., Sassafras is a beloved member of our country’s natural heritage. A friend to birds, butterflies, and people alike, it has brought shade and shelter to people and wildlife here for centuries. In 1957, a battle erupted over the world’s largest Sassafras Tree in Owensboro, Kentucky. The highway department had the big tree slated for destruction in order to widen a road, but the lady of the house on whose property the tree grew had other ideas. She emerged with a loaded shotgun, and after a long standoff, the state backed down. The venerable champ is now over 100 feet tall and has a trunk 7 feet thick.
How to use Audubon® Native Sassafras Treeling in the landscape?
Root beer was originally flavored with Sassafras roots, and Sassafras tea was a popular drink in pioneer days. As it turns out, Sassafras oil from the roots and bark of the tree contains saffrole, which has since been discovered to be mildly carcinogenic. However, the leaves contain very little of this substance, and today the powdered thickener knows as “filé” that goes into an authentic pot of Creole jumbo is still derived from crushed Sassafras leaves.
Planting Zones
Hardiness Zone: 4-9
How To Plant Audubon® Native Sassafras Treeling
Sassafras is easy to grow and is a fast-growing tree in good soil. It prefers full sun and its fall color will be the best where light can reach all of the foliage. It needs well-drained soil and can tolerate dry conditions once established. In the wild, Sassafras is often found in hedgerows and will send up suckers, forming a thicket. This can happen in the home landscape, too, and will create a nice seasonal screen. If you’d rather keep your tree to a single trunk, simply pull or mow any suckers that appear and avoid wounding the trunk or disturbing the root zone, both of which can encourage more suckers to appear.
How To Water
Water twice weekly for the first 3-5 weeks; then water weekly for the remainder of the year until winter. When you water, water very slowly and very thoroughly. The water needs to reach to the bottom of the root ball and that takes time. Watering needs may be altered due to extreme weather conditions.
How To Fertilize
Incorporate Elements Starter Plant Food granular form into the soil when planting. If planting in spring or summer, start fertilizing late fall using Elements Starter Plant Food granular form on an annual basis each fall. Continue this for the first three years to get your plant well established as it gives your tree the nutrients it needs to produce lush new growth for the following spring.
How To Prune
A young tree may need a little extra support to ensure that it lives a long and healthy life. Stake your new Treeling with a 6-8 foot tall wood or bamboo stake. Use expandable ties that will stretch as the tree grows, fastening the stake to the main trunk from the base to the top. Check the ties every few months, at least twice a year; ensuring the ties are not digging into the trunk. If there is any sign of this, take the tie off and reattach it, giving the tree more room to grow.
As your tree grows, remove a few of the lower branches each year in mid to late summer. Remove these lower branches before they reach 1/2 inch in diameter. It is better to make small cuts to avoid cutting a large, more mature branch - this is too stressful for the tree. Each year, make any corrective pruning needed, paying particular attention to removing damaged branches, rubbing branches, multiple leaders at the top, or suckers at the base. Limit any pruning to no more than 25% of the branching structure in a given year. Pruning benefits the tree and helps to achieve a balanced tree form.
After two or three years you can feel free to remove the stake from the tree.