Soil series profile
Sassafras soil series
Sassafras is a well drained soil with a fine sandy loam surface, mapped on 384,069 acres in 44 counties across 6 states. Hydrologic group B.
- Drainage class
- Well drained 98% of mapped acres
- Hydrologic group
- B 98% of mapped acres
- Typical topsoil pH
- 6.0 moderately acidic · range 4.6–6.3
- Mapped area
- 384k acres in 44 counties, 6 states
Typical Sassafras profile
Texture and pH by depth
Show as a table
| Depth | Texture | pH | Clay | Sand | Organic matter |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0–8 in (H1) | Fine sandy loam | 4.6 | 12% | 71% | 1.5% |
| 8–36 in (H2) | Sandy clay loam | 4.6 | 23% | 60% | 0% |
| 36–70 in (H3) | Loamy fine sand | 4.6 | 10% | 81% | 0% |
What this means
What Sassafras soil means for gardens, lawns and septic systems
For gardens
Typical topsoil in Sassafras soils is moderately acidic: pH 6.0 (most land between 4.6 and 6.3). Many vegetables grow well here, and some gardens benefit from a little lime. Test before adding any.
Loamy topsoil (loam, silt loam and similar) covers 73% of mapped Sassafras acres: generally the easiest soil to garden, holding moisture without staying waterlogged. The most common surface texture is sandy loam (52% of mapped Sassafras acres).
99% of mapped Sassafras acres is moderately well to excessively drained, which suits most garden plants.
For lawns and yards
Most land is in hydrologic groups B and C, where rain soaks in at a moderate pace.
For a septic system
For conventional septic absorption fields, NRCS rates 98% of the acres in mapped Sassafras soils very limited, 0% somewhat limited and 0% not limited (2% not rated, such as urban land, pits or water).
Where the soil is very limited (slow permeability, a high water table, flooding, shallow bedrock or steep slopes), alternative systems such as mound or sand-filter designs are common and cost more.
Only a licensed site evaluation or perc test at the actual lot decides whether a system is allowed and which design.
Where Sassafras soil is found
Mapped acres
Sassafras is mapped in New Jersey, Maryland, Virginia, Delaware, District of Columbia and Pennsylvania.
| County | Acres | Share of county land |
|---|---|---|
| Kent County, MD | 26,827 | 15.5% |
| King George County, VA | 25,475 | 26.0% |
| Cumberland County, NJ | 24,560 | 7.9% |
| Northumberland County, VA | 23,593 | 23.2% |
| Middlesex County, NJ | 19,435 | 9.8% |
| Kent County, DE | 18,626 | 5.2% |
| Atlantic County, NJ | 18,340 | 4.5% |
| St. Mary's County, MD | 17,962 | 7.6% |
| Burlington County, NJ | 17,222 | 3.3% |
| Gloucester County, NJ | 17,098 | 8.3% |
| Lancaster County, VA | 16,357 | 28.8% |
| Mercer County, NJ | 15,704 | 11.1% |
| Stafford County, VA | 13,404 | 8.9% |
| Talbot County, MD | 13,337 | 8.1% |
| Cecil County, MD | 10,858 | 5.4% |
| Anne Arundel County, MD | 10,638 | 3.7% |
| New Castle County, DE | 10,316 | 4.1% |
| Monmouth County, NJ | 9,526 | 3.2% |
| Salem County, NJ | 9,490 | 4.8% |
| Prince George's County, MD | 9,463 | 3.1% |
| Queen Anne's County, MD | 9,277 | 3.9% |
| Fairfax County, VA | 7,649 | 3.4% |
| Worcester County, MD | 7,196 | 2.1% |
| Caroline County, MD | 7,009 | 3.4% |
| Baltimore County, MD | 5,425 | 1.5% |
| Sussex County, DE | 3,838 | 0.8% |
| Ocean County, NJ | 2,482 | 0.5% |
| Howard County, MD | 2,385 | 1.5% |
| District of Columbia, DC | 2,113 | 5.4% |
| Harford County, MD | 1,813 | 0.7% |
| Dorchester County, MD | 1,183 | 0.3% |
| Baltimore city, MD | 1,116 | 2.2% |
| Arlington County, VA | 1,042 | 6.7% |
| Camden County, NJ | 750 | 0.5% |
| Prince William County, VA | 574 | 0.3% |
| Alexandria city, VA | 536 | 6.0% |
| Mathews County, VA | 388 | 1.1% |
| Montgomery County, MD | 226 | 0.1% |
| Wicomico County, MD | 223 | 0.1% |
| Somerset County, MD | 215 | 0.2% |
| Delaware County, PA | 208 | 0.1% |
| Cape May County, NJ | 148 | 0.1% |
| Charles County, MD | 37 | 0.0% |
| Calvert County, MD | 5 | 0.0% |
Septic absorption fields
NRCS rating, share of Sassafras acres
Show as a table
| Category | Share of acres |
|---|---|
| Not limited | 0.0% |
| Somewhat limited | 0.0% |
| Very limited | 98.0% |
| Not rated | 2.0% |
Drainage, water table and flooding
Share of Sassafras acres
- Depth to seasonal high water table
- About 4.9 feet (59 in) (median where reported).
- Flooding
- Not mapped as flooding on most acres.
- Slope
- Typically 2–13% (median 3%).
- Topsoil organic matter
- Median 1.8%.
Drainage class
Show as a table
| Category | Share of acres |
|---|---|
| Excessively drained | 0.0% |
| Somewhat excessively drained | 0.0% |
| Well drained | 97.7% |
| Moderately well drained | 0.8% |
| Somewhat poorly drained | 0.0% |
| Poorly drained | 0.0% |
| Very poorly drained | 0.0% |
| Not rated | 1.5% |
Hydrologic soil group
Show as a table
| Category | Share of acres |
|---|---|
| A: fast infiltration (mostly sandy or gravelly) | 0.3% |
| B: moderate infiltration | 98.2% |
| C: slow infiltration | 0.0% |
| D: very slow infiltration (clayey, shallow or wet) | 0.0% |
| A/D: D as is, A if drained | 0.0% |
| B/D: D as is, B if drained | 0.0% |
| C/D: D as is, C if drained | 0.0% |
| Not rated | 1.5% |
Sources & data dates
- Source
- USDA NRCS Soil Survey Geographic Database (SSURGO), queried through Soil Data Access. Public domain.
- Data date
- SSURGO as published on November 3, 2026 (most recent survey area update October 26, 2026). NRCS refreshes SSURGO each October.
- Scope
- All map unit components named Sassafras (component kind "Series") in SSURGO: 384,069 acres.
- Method
- Shares are by mapped acres of Sassafras components. The profile comes from the single largest Sassafras component. Full methodology.