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what else you should know
cut & sifted
sassafras root bark
Sassafras is a deciduous tree in the laurel family that is native to North America. The distinguishing feature of this species is the seemingly haphazard appearance of its foliage, especially in young trees. The elongated leaves emerge in one of three shapes—single-lobed, two-lobed or three-lobed (and sometimes more). Although they are alternate and tend to be symmetrical shape-wise, the same branch may contain all three leaf types. They are sometimes described as resembling left and right-handed mittens, with either two or three thumbs.
Native Americans made extracts from the bark and root bark, the use of which they later introduced to European settlers. For a long time, the essential oil and root extracts of sassafras were used to flavor candy and root beer and to scent soaps and perfumes. Since the ban of safrole in the US in 1960, these items are treated to either black birch or wintergreen extracts or a laboratory-made safrole-free sassafras extract.
