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Sassafrass

Plants / Sassafrass albidum

On Exhibit

Tennessee Aquarium Plaza

An irregularly shaped and quirky deciduous tree rising to 30’ tall. Stems, leaves, and roots are aromatic. In the summer, 2 or 3 lobed leaves are green and turn a rainbow of colors come fall. Sassafras plays host to many moths and butterflies. Trees are dioicous, meaning they are either male or female. Males produce terminal clusters of yellow flowers in April, and females produce dark blue berries in September that birds eat. A drought-tolerant tree that takes poor sites well.