Stats

Lifespan: 25-100 yrs
Size: Large
Diet: Photosynthetic
Biome: Temperate deciduous forest
Range: North America
Movement: Sessile
Breeding: Seeds
Defense: Toxins
Status: Common

About

Sassafras is a deciduous tree native to eastern North America, remarkable for bearing three distinct leaf shapes—unlobed, two-lobed (mitten-shaped), and three-lobed—on the very same branch. Its aromatic roots were once the original key flavoring in traditional root beer.

Life cycle

1.
seed
A dormant seed waits for water and warmth before germinating.
2.
sprout
A first shoot emerges with cotyledon leaves and a tap root reaching down.
3.
sapling
A young plant grows true leaves and a stem or trunk, putting on height each season.
4.
mature
Fully grown, flowering or fruiting at adult size.

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Taxonomy

Kingdom: Plantae
Phylum: Tracheophyta
Class: Magnoliopsida
Order: Laurales
Family: Lauraceae
Genus: Sassafras
Species: Sassafras albidum