Ep. 30: Sassafras vs. Cola Nut
Are you finding yourself thirsty for a little soda pop this summer? How about for some botanical knowledge about soda pop’s history?In this plant face-off episode, Erin and Sean put some fizz into the competition with the plants behind two iconic flavours: the cola nut that gives cola its kick, and the sassafras that puts the root in root beer. Or, at least, the plants that did serve those roles before the advent of artificial flavouring. Erin takes the first swig with a dramatic overview of the North American Sassafras albidum, an aromatic tree with a long history of use for medicine, food, furniture, and one nautical beverage that almost saw it hunted to extinction. She peers into the muddy waters surrounding its first use in root beer and, later, its controversial ban by the FDA, speculates about Choctaw influence on its use in gumbo, and delights over the Kanien’kéha (Mohawk) name, wenhákeras, meaning “smelly thing.” Sean takes his kick at the can with the cola nut, the key ingredient behind the flavour and caffeine of cola beverages. He discusses the flavourful Malvaceae family tree of the West African cola tree (also spelled kola) (Cola nitida and Cola acuminata) and its surprising identity as a broad-leaf evergreen before serving up some knowledge about the fruit’s growing habits and its cultural history as a stimulant and a beverage ingredient. After some medical meanderings and a look at modern-day distribution, we wrap up Coca-Cola origins and its present-day ingredients.Who had the most interesting facts to share today? Vote for your favourite by tagging us on social media and using the hashtag #PAWFaceOff. Comments? Feedback? Want your garden question to be featured in a future Q&A segment? Email us, reach out over social media, or get Q&A priority by supporting us on Patreon. Discord: https://discord.gg/K6wF9dY4Ja Bluesky: @plantsalwayswin.com TikTok: @plantsalwayswinpodcast YouTube: @plantsalwayswinpodcastWebsite: www.plantsalwayswin.com CreditsWebsite Design and Illustration by Sophia AlladinIntro and Outro Music from #Uppbeat (free for Creators!): https://uppbeat.io/t/soundroll/when-my-ukulele-playsLicense code: GWOIMMBAS15FG6PHCitationsCommon names for sassafrasWood and charcoal indentification in southern MD. (n.d.). https://apps.jefpat.maryland.gov/woodandcharcoalid/Webpages-trees/Sassafras.htmIndigenous names for sassafrasPlenty Canada. (2024). SaSSaFras. Greenbelt Indigenous Botanical Survey. https://gibsurvey.ca/species/sassafrasFurniture usesPackard Forest Products. (2011, October 30). Sassafras - Packard Forest products. https://packardforestproducts.com/lumber/hardwood-lumber/species-guide/sassafras/Food and medicine usesMacKinnon, A., & Kershaw, L. (2016). Edible and medicinal plants of Canada. Publishing Partners.Root beer’s origins and the banning of safrole oilVerberg, S. (2023, November 30). Root beer: the quintessential American soda. American Homebrewers Association. https://homebrewersassociation.org/beyond-beer/root-beer-the-quintessential-american-soda/Sassafras oil and toxicityhttps://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/pharmacology-toxicology-and-pharmaceutical-science/sassafrasThe history of sassafras in North AmericaSassafras: Native gem of North America. (2022, October 10). Cornell Botanic Gardens. https://cornellbotanicgardens.org/sassafras-native-gem-of-north-americaSassafras in OntarioSassafras. (n.d.). ontario.ca. https://www.ontario.ca/page/sassafrasGrowing sassafrasSassafras albidum (Cinnamon Wood, Common Sassafras, Mitten Tree, Sassafras, White Sassafras) | North Carolina Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox. (n.d.). https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/sassafras-albidum/Hassani, N. (2025, May 7). How to grow and care for sassafras. The Spruce. https://www.thespruce.com/sassafras-tree-plant-profile-5199214Cola nut overviewKola Trees (Genus Cola). (n.d.). iNaturalist. https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/132989-ColaWikipedia contributors. (2025, July 18). Kola nut. Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kola_nutCola nut etymologyKola - Etymology, Origin & Meaning. (n.d.). Etymonline. https://www.etymonline.com/word/kolaMedicinal uses for cola nut and caffeineCola nut: health benefits, side effects, uses, dose & precautions. (2021, June 11). RxList. https://www.rxlist.com/supplements/cola_nut.htm#:~:text=Cola%20nut%20is%20used%20for,used%20as%20a%20flavoring%20ingredientTimestamps00:11 Introduction01:13 What's Growing On? Sean's Fruit Shrubs and Willow Wall03:38 What's Growing On? Reciprocity in Erin's Vegetable Garden06:03 The Range of Serviceberry Taste06:51 Water Break: Regionalisms07:19 The Plant Face-Off08:25 Sassafras Albidum, an Aromatic Shrub09:08 The Etymology of Sassafras 11:10 Indigenous Names for Sassafras12:55 The Distinct Look of a Sassafras Tree15:47 Wildlife, Building and Dye Use of Sassafras16:16 Sassafras' Medicinal Properties20:00 Eating Sassafras leaves, stems, and pith21:49 How Sassafras Gave Us Root Beer...And What Went Wrong25:27 The Great Sassafras Hunts for Saloop27:33 The Invention of Root Beer28:50 Making Fermented vs. Carbonated Root Beer30:24 Growing Sassafras for Beauty, Hedges, Specimen Trees, and Remediation36:05 Water Break: Love Your Library37:28 Cola Nut? Kola Nut? Pick Your Spelling.39:54 West African Names for Cola Nut40:58 The Etymology of Cola Nut42:56 The Cola Tree, Both Evergreen and Deciduous43:55 Cola's Unusual Flowering and Fruiting Habit45:45 Cola Range and Cultivation46:44 The Cola Nut: A Fleshy Pod47:57 Culinary and Medicinal Uses of Cola51:00 Cultural and Hospitality Uses in West Africa52:29 Cola Nut Harvesting53:20 The Invention of Coca Cola54:40 1880 Ad for Coca Cola, an "Intellectual Beverage"56:11 Conclusion and Contact Us
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