Origins: Along fence rows; in open woods and abandoned fields, and on dry ridges.

Uses: The root bark can be used to prepare a tea. Root material can be distilled to make sassafras oil, which is used mainly as a flavoring agent in beverages, confectionery tooth paste, and the like. The tea has been used as a diaphoretic, stimulant, diuretic, and carminative; and it is used in Appalachia to treat bronchitis. The bark is reportedly used also as an insect repellent. Colonial Americans were advised to chew the bark of this tree to break the tobacco habit. Sassafras leaves have been used as a dye to make a soft yellow tan. And some research suggests that, under certain conditions, the leaves may be carcinogenic.

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Sassafras trees show three forms of ovoid, mitten-like leaves typical of the tree (sometimes called “knife, fork, and spoon” leaves). They grow to be medium-sized trees and form groves by sending up new trunks from the spreading root system. Sassafras had many medicinal uses for the Native Americans. The bark and root are very aromatic, and sassafras was used to flavor toothpaste, chewing gum, Cajun gumbo file, and other products. It is now known that oil of sassafras contains safrole, a compound that can induce malignant tumors in lab animals, and regular use of delicious sassafras tea is not recommended. Now in the USA, retail sassafras products have had the safrole removed. In colonial times a great deal of sassafras was shipped to London, where it was promoted as a cure for syphilis and was an extremely valuable cargo. Indiana pioneers took sassafras tea as a general tonic in the spring to “thin the blood.” Tea was also used for rheumatism and fevers. The tiger swallowtail butterfly lays her eggs on sassafras trees.
Toxicity:
It is now known that oil of sassafras contains safrole, a compound that can induce malignant tumors in lab animals, and regular use of delicious sassafras tea is not recommended. Now in the USA, retail sassafras products have had the safrole removed.

Part used::
Bark, Roots

Origin:
America
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Origin

Canada to Florida. Dried roots of S. albidum are imported into India.

Action:

Root—used earlier for rheumatism, gout, kidney complaints and skin diseases.

1) A guide to medicinal plants of  Appalachia/ Krochmal, Arnold; Walter, Russel S.; Doughty, Richard M.: USA: U.S.D.A Forest Service:,1959

2) Hull, Kathleen; Photog. Hull, Meredith /Indiana Medical History Museum: Guide to the Medicinal Plant Garden./ USA: Indiana Medical History Museum. 2010. -- p. 58.

3) Khare, C.P./ Indian Medicinal Plants. -- Nueva Dheli: Springer, 2007 . - p 585.