Litsea aestivalis is listed as Endangered by the State of Florida.  Since that listing, the laurel wilt disease has come to Florida, and is known to k , Tolerance, Not salt tolerant of inundation by salty or brackish water. Low/no tolerance of salty wind or direct salt spray , Wildlife, Fruits eaten by birds and mammals. , Habitat, Near the edges of forested wetlands and some seasonal ponds wtih open centers. , Did You Know?, Attracts flies and small bees.  A likely host for the spicebush swallowtail butterfly.

This  little plant produces two flowers with ovaries that fuse into a single fruit. Typically grown as a curiosity. This is a very small plant that a , Tolerance, Not salt tolerant of inundation by salty or brackish water. Low/no tolerance of salty wind or direct salt spray , Wildlife, Birds  and small mammals consume the berries which mature in the fall and are retained through the winter and spring. , Habitat, Hammocks, upland hardwood forests, upland mixed forest, seep slopes, second bottom and levees in floodplains. , Did You Know?, Showy flowers, Showy fruits, Interesting foliage Bumblebees pollinate the flowers. Cross-pollination, required for seed set, is controlled by factors

Red/orange fall color is excellent. Leaves have three separate shapes: ovoid, tri-lobed, or mitten-shaped (left or right). Mature trees tend to have f , Tolerance, Not salt tolerant of inundation by salty or brackish water. Low/no tolerance of salty wind or direct salt spray , Considertions, Like other members of this family, sassafras trees are threatened by the spread of the redbay ambrosia beetle and the laural wilt fungus it carries. M , Wildlife, Birds consume fruit. , Habitat, Dry sites. Dry mesic forests. , Did You Know?, Aroma, fragrance, Fall color, Interesting foliage Larval food for spicebush butterfly(Papilio troilus), tiger swallow-tail(papilio glaucus), palamede