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The Forest Service National Center for Reforestation, Nurseries, and Genetic Resources (RNGR) is a leading source of technical information for nurseries and land managers regarding production and planting of trees and other native plants for reforestation, restoration, and conservation.

 
NPN Protocol Details Image

Sassafras (albidum)

John M. Englert
USDA NRCS - Norman A. Berg National Plant Materials Center
Bldg. 509, BARC - East, E. Beaver Dam Road
Beltsville, Maryland 20705
(301) 504-8175
(301) 504-8741 (fax)
john.englert@wdc.usda.gov
http://plant-materials.nrcs.usda.gov/mdpmc/
Family Scientific Name: Lauraceae
Family Common Name: Laurel family
Scientific Name: Sassafras albidum L.
Common Name: sassafras
Species Code: SASALB
Ecotype: Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Cumberland Gap National Historical Park.
General Distribution: S. albidum is found from Maine to Florida in dry or rich woods, roadsides and old fields.
Propagation Goal: plants
Propagation Method: seed
ProductType: Bareroot (field grown)
Stock Type: Seedling
Time To Grow: 0
Target Specifications: Root systems: Bareroot seedlings should have well-developed root systems. Long roots are pruned as needed at harvest.<br>Container plants should have firm root balls that fill the pot. The insides of containers are treated with Spin Out, a copper hydroxide product that encourages development of a fibrous root system.<br> Height: 12 to 24 inches for bare root seedlings.
Propagule Collection: Fruit is collected in the GRSM in August and September, in Cumberland Gap in September.
Propagule Processing: Purity: untested. Estimated at 98-100%.Germination: Untested.Seeds/Kg: 8,700 to 12,800(average 10,300).
Pre-Planting Treatments: Scarify seeds. Sowing/Planting Technique:
Woody nursery: Pre-scarified and inoculated seeds are dusted with fungicide and hand-sown into rows. Rows are 5-6 inches apart and seeds are sown about 1" apart within each row. Endomycorrhizae are sprinkled over the seed before covering with about _" of soil. The beds are then mulched with aged sawdust, which is scraped back in the spring before seedling emergence.
Growing Area Preparation/
Annual Practices for Perennial Crops:		 Propagation environment: Bareroot seedlings are grown in outdoor woody nursery beds.
Establishment Phase: Outdoor woody nursery: Seedlings emerge during the spring following fall sowing, or shortly after spring sowing. Newly emerged seedlings are monitored closely for irrigation needs.
Active Growth Phase: The NPMC soil is a nutrient-poor sandy loam which is amended with organic matter, such as composted leaves and manure. Seedlings in the nursery beds are fertilized every other week from early May through early June with a granular 10-10-10. From mid-June through late July, the 10-10-10 is alternated with a granular urea. Fertilization from late July through late August is bi-weekly with 10-10-10. Overhead irrigation is used after each fertilizer application. The rate of water applied is determined by soil moisture prior to irrigation.
Hardening Phase: Outdoor woody nursery beds: During mid- to late summer, fertilization is cut back to twice monthly. Beginning in September, irrigation is only used in a severe droughty situation.<br>Container nursery: frequency and duration of irrigation is reduced as plants go dormant, depending on natural rainfall.
Harvesting, Storage and Shipping: Dormant bareroot plants are harvested in early to mid-December. A bareroot seedling harvester is used to lift plants in the woody bed. Seedlings are then hand-sorted by size and tied in manageable bundles. Roots are pruned as needed and kept moist until packing. Bundles are packed in plastic bins with drainage holes and roots are covered with moist sawdust. Bins are held in cold storage at 40F and watered as needed. Prior to shipment, roots of the bundles are dipped in a mycorrhizal slurry and sealed in air-tight plastic. This has prevented desiccation of roots in transport and outplanting.

Storage Duration: December to March for bareroot.
Length of Storage: 4 months
References: Seeds of Woody Plants in the United States. Forest Service, USDA. Agricultural Handbook 450. Washington, DC.

Brown, Russell G. and Melvin L. Brown. 1992. Woody Plants of Maryland. Port City Press, Baltimore, MD.
Dirr, Michael A. and Charles W. Heuser, Jr. 1987. The Reference Manual of Woody Plant Propagation. Varsity Press, Inc., Athens GA.

Gleason, Henry A. and Arthur Cronquist. 1991. Manual of Vascular Plants of Northeastern United States and Adjacent Canada. 2nd. Edition. New York Botanical Garden, Bronx, NY.
USDA-NRCS National Plant Materials Center. Woody bed and container nursery plant records. Unpublished.

Citation:

Davis, Kathy; King, Brandy; Kujawski, Jennifer. 2003. Propagation protocol for production of Bareroot (field grown) Sassafras albidum L. plants Seedling; USDA NRCS - Norman A. Berg National Plant Materials Center Beltsville, Maryland. In: Native Plant Network. URL: https://NativePlantNetwork.org (accessed 2024/07/01). US Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, National Center for Reforestation, Nurseries, and Genetic Resources.