Sassafras

The Sassafras tree, also known as Sassafras albidum, is found all along the eastern coast. It's definitely found in Sutton Massachusetts! To see your very own sassafras tree, head over to Purgatory Chasm and walk along Charley's trail. About halfway down the trail (counting from the entry point by the covered picnic area through the end where it meets with the main chasm trail) you'll find sassafras trees along the left.

Sassafras leaves have three lobes. It looks sort of like a ghost with waving arms on either side!



They can also make leaves that have other number of lobes, which is fairly unusual in trees.

The tree is tall and skinny. In this photo it's the thin yellow-leaved tree in front of the other thicker ones. In the autumn the leaves turn a rich golden color.



Deer and rabbit like the leaves!

Here are photos of a sassafras tree on October 23, 2012. You can see in these images how the exact same tree makes leaves of different shapes.

























Trees of Sutton Massachusetts

Massachusetts Foliage Photo Collection
Sutton Massachusetts Photo Album