Berries were still present when I took this picture in early September.
On the trees in southern New Jersey, by early November, the leaves have turned (yellow, not bright yellow, yellow perhaps leaning towards including a little hint of brownishness) and most have already fallen to the ground.
When it has leaves, they are quite distinctive. I think of them as being like mittens. They are however variable and it can have leaves with one-thumb, leaves with two thumbs (on opposite sides of the leaf) or leaves with no thumbs. One tree can, and often does, have all three types of leaves.
Sap flow is typical of a deciduous tree. Sap flow stops in the late fall and begins to circulate again in the spring. This tree begins the year with small yellowish-green flowers on the ends of the twigs.
The roots of this tree may be boiled to make Sassafras tea.