Sassafras
Sassafras albidum · hardwood · Eastern North America · moderate movement
- Janka hardness 630 lbfred oak ≈ 1,290 lbf
- Density ≈ 32 lb/ft³specific gravity 0.46 at 12% MC
- Shrinkage — tangential 6.2%flatsawn width, green → ovendry
- Shrinkage — radial 4%quartersawn width
- T/R ratio 1.6 : 1higher = more cupping in flatsawn stock
Shop notes Smells like root beer at the saw, looks like coarse chestnut, and stays remarkably calm across the seasons. Underrated for tool totes and small boxes.
Seasonal movement at a glance
Width change for sassafras across a typical indoor year — 6% moisture content in the heated winter to 12% in a humid summer:
| Board width | Flatsawn | Quartersawn |
|---|---|---|
| 6″ | 3/32″ (0.080″) | 1/16″ (0.051″) |
| 12″ | 5/32″ (0.159″) | 3/32″ (0.103″) |
| 24″ | 5/16″ (0.319″) | 7/32″ (0.206″) |
| 36″ | 15/32″ (0.478″) | 5/16″ (0.309″) |
Run your own numbers
Different width, different climate swing — the calculator below is preset to sassafras:
Typical swings:
Sassafras questions
How much does sassafras move with the seasons?
A 12″-wide flatsawn sassafras board moves about 5/32″ across a typical indoor swing from 6% to 12% moisture content; quartersawn, about 3/32″. Its tangential shrinkage is 6.2% and radial 4% (green to ovendry) — a moderate-movement wood.
How hard is sassafras?
Sassafras rates about 630 lbf on the Janka scale — soft enough to dent in daily use (red oak is roughly 1,290 lbf). Density runs about 32 lb/ft³ at indoor moisture levels.
Is sassafras good for wide panels and tabletops?
Yes, with normal precautions: its 1.6:1 tangential-to-radial ratio is unusually balanced, so panels stay flatter than most. Still fasten solid tops so they can move across their width.
Similar species
Spanish Cedar · Red Alder · Silver Maple · Northern Catalpa · American Chestnut · Yellow-Poplar (Tulipwood)
Shrinkage, specific gravity, and hardness from the Wood Handbook, FPL-GTR-282 (2021 edition), USDA Forest Products Laboratory (public domain). Values are species averages — individual boards vary with growth conditions and how they were dried.