Sassafras albidum at UVM. (Luke Ban, 2014)

Sassafras is a wonderful tree due to its history of uses and its great appearance. Its beautiful flowers are pleasant to look at in the spring, and its friendly mitten-shaped leaves draw you in among its other leaves as well. When telling a friend of mine that I was writing a profile on sassafras, he got a little excited and said “Oh! The one with the three kinds of leaves: mittens, spears, and the three finger one.” Growing all over his town, he recognized the name, appearance, and was surprised when I told him there was one on campus. 

While there is only on sassafras tree on campus, we are nearing the edge of its natural range, so I believe it is not necessary to plant more in this difficult climate. However, the fact that there is only one to see on campus means there is only more reason to go visit the magnificent garden it grows in.