Sassafras

Overview

Sassafras (Sassafras albidum) is a durable, ring-porous eastern hardwood, medium to light brown with an orange or olive hue. It smells of root beer when cut. Lumber and turning blanks are available in limited quantities at modest prices.

Pros

• Easy to work with both hand and machine tools.
• Durable to very durable, per the Wood Database.
• Good dimensional stability once dry: 4.0% radial and 6.2% tangential shrinkage.
• Glues, stains and finishes well.
• Priced modestly; used for furniture, fence posts and boatbuilding.

Cons

• Limited supply of lumber.
• Coarse, ring-porous texture.
• Reported as a sensitizer, with nausea and respiratory effects the usual reactions.
• Oil extracted from the roots and wood has been shown to be toxic and weakly carcinogenic if ingested.
• Light and moderately soft (630 lbf).

Variants and subspecies

• Sassafras (S. albidum) is the only species covered; it is the true North American sassafras.
• Other ring-porous eastern woods for comparison: Black ash and American chestnut.

Working and finishing

The Wood Database says sassafras is easy to work with both hand and machine tools and glues, stains and finishes well. It has good dimensional stability once dry. It has a root-beer scent when cut. Because of the sensitizer reports, wear a respirator.

Staining and finishing colour

Heartwood is medium to light brown, sometimes with an orange or olive hue, darkening with age; sapwood is paler yellowish brown and not always sharply separate. The Wood Database says it stains and finishes well.

Sustainability and handling

The Wood Database reports sassafras as not listed in the CITES Appendices (checked 2026-09-30) and as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List, which Wikipedia's page also gives. US-grown timber is still covered by the Lacey Act, which as amended in 2008 prohibits trade in plants and timber taken, possessed, transported or sold in violation of law (Wikipedia's summary of the Act); buy from dealers who can name the source. The Wood Database says that, though severe reactions are quite uncommon, sassafras has been reported as a sensitizer, with nausea and respiratory effects the usual reactions, and that oil extracted from the roots and wood has been shown to be toxic and weakly carcinogenic if ingested. The Wood Database's wood-dust article treats wood dust in general as an irritant or sensitizer and notes that fine dust can cause cumulative lung damage, so extract at the source and wear a respirator when sanding or machining.

Popular projects

Utility lumber, fence posts, boatbuilding, furniture and turned objects, per the Wood Database.

Buying notes

Limited quantities of lumber and turning blanks are available at modest prices. Lists show about $3.98 to $5.80 per board foot (4.00 for 6/4 and 5.00 for 8/4 at one seller). Ask local sawmills.