07/26/2026
Do you like root b**r? Thank sassafras! In the original recipe—the ‘root’ of root b**r—came from sassafras bark combined with wintergreen, molasses, and water.
Sassafras is more than just a sweet treat!
👍 Indigenous groups have used sassafras leaves for medicine and sassafras oil for cooking.
☀️ Sassafras is found in well-drained, acidic soils, and prefers full sun exposure.
🦖 The native tree is easily identified by its variable leaves, which can be a simple leaf shape, mitten shaped, or three lobed like a T-rex footprint.
🥣 Sassafras also has a distinctive smell, which some say is like the breakfast cereal, Fruit Loops️™.
🕵️ Live on Long Island or in New York City? Keep an eye out for laurel wilt, a fungal disease that kills sassafras and other members of the laurel family.
📷: Ansel Oommen, Bugwood.org
Check out the link in the comments to learn more about sassafras and how to identify and report laurel wilt.
