October 10, 2025

Oh October! The month of COLOR! Here, Sassafras (Sassafras albidum) is just beginning to celebrate. A fragrant tree, in all its parts, that grows to 30 – 60 feet tall with trunks that are 1 – 2 feet across, and sometimes larger. With gray-brown, deeply ridged and furrowed bark on older trees. If you cut into that bark it has a pronounced brown-orange color beneath the gray-brown surface, and of course, there is that fragrance. Lovely.

Autumn is just beginning to be evident up here. It is at the point of, “Oh, look at that tree.” — rather than, “Oh, look at all the color!” Sassafras leaves turn to yellow, orange, red, and even purple. This particular tree is showing its color early and will be developing even richer hues as the season develops.

I adore brilliant colors. This season is pure joy for me.

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