American sassafras
American sassafras is a medium sized aromatic tree important to wildlife and the perfume industry.
Latin Name
Sassafras officinale
Other Common Names
red sassafras, golden elm, cinnamon wood
Forest Distribution
Compare speciesAmerican sassafras trees grow small in the north and tend to develop pockets around parent trees. They are distributed throughout the eastern, central and southern USA and as far west as eastern Texas in natural hardwood forests on all types of soil.
FOREST GROWTH
Forest Inventory Analysis (FIA) data shows U.S. sassafras growing stock is 45 million m3, only 0.3% of total U.S. hardwood growing stock. American sassafras is growing 527,000 m3 per year while the harvest is 480,000 m3 per year. The net volume (after harvest) is increasing 47,000 m3 each year.
LCA Tool
104.22
seconds
seconds
it takes 155.38 seconds to grow 1m³ of American sassafras
The replacement rate is calculated from total U.S. annual increment of the specified hardwood species derived from the U.S. Forest Service Inventory and Analysis (FIA) program and assumes that 2 m³ of logs is harvested to produce 1 m³ of lumber (i.e. 50% conversion efficiency). The rapid rate of replacement is due to the very large volume of hardwood trees in U.S. forest.
Global Warming Potential (Kg CO2 -eq)
Primary Energy Demand from Resources (MJ)
Primary Energy Demand from Renewables (MJ)
Acidification Potential (Moles of H+ eq.)
Freshwater Eutrophication Potential (Kg P -eq)
Marine Eutrophication Potential (Kg N -eq)
Photochemical Ozone Creation Potential (Kg NMVOC)
Resource Depletion (Kg Sb -eq.)
Key
Forestry
Drying
Sawmill
Transport Forest-Kiln
Transport Kiln-Customer
Carbon uptake
| Global Warming Potential | Primary Energy Demand from Resources | Primary Energy Demand from Renewables | Acidification Potential | Freshwater Eutrophication Potential | Marine Eutrophication Potential | Photochemical Ozone Creation Potential | Resource Depletion | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unit | Kg CO2 -eq | MJ | MJ | Moles of H+ eq. | Kg P -eq | Kg N -eq | Kg NMVOC | Kg Sb -eq. |
| Forestry | / | 446 | 15500 | 0.28 | 0.000226 | 0.00371 | 0.4 | 0.0000196 |
| Drying | 85.2 | 1240 | 971 | 0.46 | 0.000787 | 0.02 | 1.5 | 0.000163 |
| Sawmill | 57.4 | 823 | 659 | 0.26 | 0.000191 | 0.00705 | 0.16 | 0.0000926 |
| Transport Forest-Kiln | 55.9 | 774 | 12.5 | 0.258 | 0.000394 | 0.00657 | 0.323 | 0.0000339 |
| Transport Kiln-Customer | 156 | 2080 | 31.3 | 2.5 | 0.000706 | 0.0463 | 1.91 | 0.000087 |
| Carbon uptake | -727 | / | / | / | / | / | / | / |
| Total | -372 | 5360 | 17200 | 3.76 | 0.0023 | 0.0836 | 4.29 | 0.000396 |
Material Availability
Compare speciesSassafras lumber from the USA is rarely available and only in limited volumes mainly from southern producers. Check with suppliers for grades available for export. Veneer may also available from specialist suppliers.
Wood Description
Compare speciesThe heartwood of sassafras is pale to dark brown but often golden in colour. It is a soft light flexible wood. The grain may be interlocked, can be straight but is often wavy and can produce a highly attractive fiddleback pattern. The wood may have a coarse or fairly fine texture and the grain has an ash-like appearance and resembles chestnut.
Mechanical Properties
Sassafras is medium in hardness and shock resistance, but low in stiffness. It is has good bending qualities and is easy to turn on the lathe.
-
0.42
Specific Gravity (12% M.C.)
497Kg/m3
Average Weight (12% M.C.)
8.2%
Average Volume Shrinkage (Green to 6% M.C.)
62.055 MPa
Modulus of Rupture
7,722 MPa
Modulus of Elasticity
32.820 MPa
Compressive strength (parallel to grain)
2,802 N
Hardness
Performance
Compare species- Sassafras machines and works reasonably well, but tools should be kept sharp. It requires pre-boring for nailing and holds screws well. The wood glues very well and stains and polishes with care to a good finish. It requires care in drying as it has a marked tendency to check and cup. It has moderate shrinkage and little movement in performance.
- The wood is resistant to heartwood decay and is moderately resistant to preservative treatment.
Main Uses
Compare speciesAmerican sassafras, growing in natural forests in the USA, is considered highly suitable for several aromatic uses including staves for buckets and some furniture.
Furniture