My Deer Garden

Plant record · Tree

Is Common Sassafras deer resistant?

Sassafras albidum

Mitten-shaped sassafras leaves
Photo by Randy Everette, CC BY-SA 3.0. Via Wikimedia Commons.
Damage step 2 of 4 · Seldom Severely Damaged

Mostly. Light browsing at worst; rarely ruined.

Type
Tree
Hardiness
Zones 4–9
Light
Full sun
Height
360–720 in
Bloom
Spring
Maintenance
Moderate
Native range
34 US states

Damage steps follow a published university field scale. How plants are rated.

About Common Sassafras

Leaves come in three shapes on the same tree, including a distinctive mitten, and turn brilliant orange in fall. It suckers into thickets, which is fine at a woodland edge and a nuisance in a lawn.

Soil and care

Soil pH
5 to 6.5
Drainage
Well drained
Water
Low
Spacing
177 to 236 in apart
Growth rate
Moderate
Maintenance
Moderate

Similar to Common Sassafras

Other trees with the same deer rating.

Where Common Sassafras grows

Hardy across every state on zone range alone, and native to 34 of them. Mountain and coastal areas sit outside the ranges used here, so check your own zone before ordering. Select any state, including one it will not grow in, for what is resistant there.

Alabama — native, and hardy. Zones 7 to 9.Alaska — hardy here. Zones 1 to 8.Arizona — hardy here. Zones 5 to 10.Arkansas — native, and hardy. Zones 6 to 8.California — hardy here. Zones 7 to 10.Colorado — hardy here. Zones 3 to 6.Connecticut — native, and hardy. Zones 5 to 7.Delaware — native, and hardy. Zones 7 to 7.District of Columbia — native, and hardy. Zones 7 to 8.Florida — native, and hardy. Zones 8 to 11.Georgia — native, and hardy. Zones 7 to 9.Hawaii — hardy here. Zones 9 to 12.Idaho — hardy here. Zones 3 to 7.Illinois — native, and hardy. Zones 5 to 7.Indiana — native, and hardy. Zones 5 to 6.Iowa — native, and hardy. Zones 4 to 6.Kansas — native, and hardy. Zones 5 to 7.Kentucky — native, and hardy. Zones 6 to 7.Louisiana — native, and hardy. Zones 8 to 10.Maine — native, and hardy. Zones 3 to 6.Maryland — native, and hardy. Zones 6 to 8.Massachusetts — native, and hardy. Zones 5 to 7.Michigan — native, and hardy. Zones 4 to 6.Minnesota — hardy here. Zones 3 to 5.Mississippi — native, and hardy. Zones 7 to 9.Missouri — native, and hardy. Zones 5 to 7.Montana — hardy here. Zones 3 to 6.Nebraska — hardy here. Zones 4 to 6.Nevada — hardy here. Zones 4 to 9.New Hampshire — native, and hardy. Zones 3 to 6.New Jersey — native, and hardy. Zones 6 to 7.New Mexico — hardy here. Zones 4 to 9.New York — native, and hardy. Zones 4 to 7.North Carolina — native, and hardy. Zones 6 to 8.North Dakota — hardy here. Zones 3 to 4.Ohio — native, and hardy. Zones 5 to 6.Oklahoma — native, and hardy. Zones 6 to 8.Oregon — hardy here. Zones 6 to 9.Pennsylvania — native, and hardy. Zones 5 to 7.Rhode Island — native, and hardy. Zones 6 to 7.South Carolina — native, and hardy. Zones 7 to 9.South Dakota — hardy here. Zones 3 to 5.Tennessee — native, and hardy. Zones 6 to 8.Texas — native, and hardy. Zones 6 to 9.Utah — hardy here. Zones 4 to 9.Vermont — native, and hardy. Zones 3 to 5.Virginia — native, and hardy. Zones 6 to 8.Washington — hardy here. Zones 5 to 8.West Virginia — native, and hardy. Zones 5 to 7.Wisconsin — native, and hardy. Zones 3 to 5.Wyoming — hardy here. Zones 3 to 6.
Native and hardyHardy on zone rangeNot hardy — still linked
Choose a state from the listeasier on a phone

Common questions about Common Sassafras

Is Common Sassafras deer resistant?
Common Sassafras (Sassafras albidum) is rated Seldom Severely Damaged, step 2 of 4 on the damage scale this site uses. Light browsing at worst; rarely ruined.
What hardiness zones does Common Sassafras grow in?
Common Sassafras is hardy in USDA zones 4 to 9. Outside that range it will either not survive winter or will struggle with summer heat.
Does Common Sassafras grow in shade?
No. Common Sassafras wants full sun and will grow thin and flop in shade.
How big does Common Sassafras get?
Mature height is roughly 360–720 in. Growth rate is moderate.

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Every list Common Sassafras belongs to.

All trees·Seldom damaged·Full sun plants·Mast and fruit trees

Hardy in these zones

Zone 4·Zone 5·Zone 6·Zone 7·Zone 8·Zone 9

Damage ratings follow the four-step field scale published by Rutgers University. Growing data is compiled from state extension sources and still being verified record by record. Last reviewed .