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Clicking any heading in the main data area (at right) will scroll the page back to this top position. Use the following links to jump to the associated section in the main data. Blunting Effect Boring Carving Comments Common Names Common Uses Countries of Distribution Cutting Resistance Distribution Overview Drying Defects Ease of Drying Environmental Profile Family Name Gluing Grain Heartwood Color Kiln Drying Rate Kiln Schedules Luster Mortising Moulding Movement in Service Nailing Natural Durability Numerical Data Odor Planing Polishing Product Sources References Regions of Distribution Resistance to Abrasion Resistance to Impregnation Response to Hand Tools Routing & Recessing Sanding Sapwood Color Scientific Name Screwing Steam Bending Strength Properties Texture Trade Name Tree Size Turning Veneering Qualities Weathering Scientific Name Sassafras albidum Trade Name Sassafras Family Name Monimiaceae Common Names Sassafras, White sassafras Regions of Distribution North America Countries of Distribution  [VIEW MAP] United States Common Uses Boat building, Building materials, Canoes, Foundation posts, Interior construction, Interior trim, Lifeboats, Millwork, Posts, Shipbuilding, Stakes Environmental Profile Vulnerable Widespread May be rare in parts of its range, especially at the periphery Globally secure Data source is Nature Conservancy Abundant Distribution Overview This North American species is distributed in Ontario, Alabama, Arkansas, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Iowa, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Maryland, Maine, Michigan, Missouri, Mississippi, North Carolina, Kansas, Great Smoky Mountain National Park, Illinois, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, Vermont, and West Virginia. The tree prefers moist, particularly sandy, soils of uplands and valleys, and is often found in old fields, clearings, and forest openings. Heartwood Color Yellow Orange Brown White Red Pink Tan Pale brown Dull orange-brown Darkens after exposure The wood has some resemblance to Black ash or Chestnut Sapwood Color Red Brown Yellow White Merges without any distinction into the heartwood Light yellow brown or pale orange brown, eventually aging into deep golden-brown Grain Even Straight Interesting pattern Generally straight, but not always Texture Fine Coarse Luster Medium Medium Natural Durability Susceptible to insect attack Non-durable Perishable Non-resistant to termites Non-resistant to powder post beetles Highly resistant to decay Sassafras is suitable for making fences and house sills Weathering Poor Odor Spicy taste Aromatic odor on fresh-cut surfaces Kiln Schedules T8 - D4(4/4)US Drying Defects Splitting Checking Distortion Discoloration Extension of Existing Shakes May check slightly during drying Ease of Drying Fairly Easy Rapidly Seasons without difficuly and is accompanied by little degrade Moderate kiln schedules are recommended Kiln Drying Rate Naturally dries quickly Drying rate is fairly rapid to fast Tree Size Tree height is 30-40 m Tree height is 20-30 m Sapwood width is 10-15 cm Bole length is 10-20 m Tree height is 10-20 m Bole length is 20-30 m Bole length is 0-10 m Product Sources Most Sassafras trees are too small to yield significant quantities of lumber. When available, Sassafras is often mixed at sawmills with other species such as Ash. Price range is moderate. Comments Bark of root is the source of the largest indirect product from Sassafras Produces oil which is used commercially to scent soaps, medicines and other products Small roots are used for making Sassafras tea which is considered to be a tonic Blunting Effect Moderate Little Boring Fairly difficult to very difficult Fairly easy to very easy Fair to good results Carving Fair to Good Results Fairly Easy to Very Easy Cutting Resistance Easy to saw Fairly Difficult to Very Difficult to saw Moderate to saw Gluing Fairly Easy to Very Easy Fair to Good Results Good gluing properties Mortising Fair to Good Results Fairly Easy to Very Easy Moulding Fair to Good Results Fairly Easy to Very Easy Very Good to Excellent Results Movement in Service Fair to Good Stability - Medium Movement Excellent Stability - Small Movement Stable Holds its place well after seasoning Nailing Fairly Difficult to Very Difficult Pre-Boring Recommended Poor to Very Poor Results Requires some care Planing Fair to Good Results Fairly Easy to Very Easy Very Good to Excellent Results Works without difficulty with ordinary tools in planing and other machining operations Clean, finished surfaces Resistance to Abrasion Moderate Resistance to Impregnation Permeable heartwood Permeable sapwood Response to Hand Tools Easy to Work Responds Readily Fairly Difficult to Difficult to Work Routing & Recessing Fairly Easy to Very Easy Sanding Fair to Good Results Fairly Easy to Very Easy Screwing Fair to Good Results Fairly Easy to Very Easy Very Good to Excellent Results Fairly Difficult to Very Difficult Firmly holds screws Turning Fairly Easy to Very Easy Fair to Good Results Veneering Qualities Veneers easily Suitable for peeling Suitable for slicing Difficult to veneer No drying degrade Veneers moderately easy Steam Bending Poor to Very Poor Results Unsuitable Polishing Fair to Good Results Fairly Easy to Very Easy Strength Properties Compression strength (parallel to grain) = low Bending stength in air-dried condition...is medium Average weight Numerical Data Item Green Dry English Bending Strength 5880 8820 psi Crushing Strength 363 833 psi Maximum Crushing Strength 2675 4665 psi Shearing Strength 1215 psi Stiffness 892 1098 1000 psi Work to Maximum Load 7 9 inch-lbs/in3 Specific Gravity 0.41 0.51 Weight 41 29 lbs/ft3 Radial Shrinkage 4 % Tangential Shrinkage 6 % Volumetric Shrinkage 10 % Item Green Dry Metric Bending Strength 413 620 kg/cm2 Crushing Strength 25 58 kg/cm2 Maximum Crushing Strength 188 327 kg/cm2 Shearing Strength 85 kg/cm2 Stiffness 62 77 1000 kg/cm2 Work to Maximum Load 0.49 0.63 cm-kg/cm3 Specific Gravity 0.41 0.51 Weight 657 464 kg/m3 Radial Shrinkage 4 % Tangential Shrinkage 6 % References Boone, R.S., C.J. Kozlik, P.J. Bois and E.M. Wengert. 1988. Dry Kiln Schedules for Commercial Woods: Temperate and Tropical. United States Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Forest Products Laboratory, General Technical Report FPL-GTR-57, Madison, Wisconsin. Kline, M. 1984. Sassafras albidum - Sassafras. In A Guide to Useful Woods of the World. Flynn Jr., J.H., Editor. King Philip Publishing Co., Portland, Maine. 1994. Page 323-324. Little, E.L. 1980. The Audubon Society Field Guide to North American Trees - Eastern Region. Published by Arthur A. Knopf, New York. Panshin, A.J. and C. deZeeuw. 1980. Textbook of Wood Technology, 4th Edition. McGraw-Hill Series in Forest Resources. McGraw-Hill Book Company, New York. USDA. 1987. Wood Handbook - Wood as an Engineering Material, Forest Service, Agriculture Handbook No. 72, Forest Products Laboratory, Madison, Wisconsin. USDA. 1988. Dry Kiln Operators Manual, Preliminary Copy. Forest Service, Forest Products Laboratory, Madison, Wisconsin.