Adventist Youth Honors Answer Book/Edible Wild Plants/Sassafras

Sassafras Sassafras1980.jpg Three-lobed sassafras leaf Sassafras is a small tree with brown, furrowed bark. The leaves come inthree shapes: an oval (one lobe); a mitten (two lobes); and a glove (three lobes). Eastern US, west to eastern Texas, north to Illinois, east to New Hampshire. dig up the roots, peel them, and boil them to make a rootbeer-like tea. Safrole, which is the main component (75-80%) of sassafras essential oil, is now recognized by the United States Department of Agriculture as a potential carcinogen.