Sassafras oil was the original source of the flavor of root beer. Sign Up for Woodworking Network Newsletters, Get the latest headlines delivered to you daily Subscribe. In the book Hugh Johnson’s Encyclopedia of Trees, sassafras is described as “by far the most beautiful and most fragrant member of a family, which has its real headquarters in the tropics.” Height/WeightHeight varies with region from 50 to 60 feet in some areas to 80 feet in others. Roots are grubbed by the ton and distilled. It’s a pretty wood and it smells great when it is freshly cut.” Graban added that chestnut no longer exists as a commercial timber in the United States because of the chestnut blight that devastated domestic supplies. Create a free website or blog at WordPress.com. It is one of the first trees to start turning and has few rivals in the color department. All parts of the tree are aromatic. It grows in moist, open woods throughout the Chesapeake Bay watershed. Bill Graban, CEO of Prime Lumber Co., Thomasville, NC, says his company said sassafras lumber, but most is being exported. Common NamesSassafras, cinnamon wood, red sassafras, golden elm, saxifraxtree, sassafac, aguetree. But, after a little time, the green turns to a rich, medium brown and looks like no other. It grows from 30–59 ft tall and spreads 25–39 ft. The roots have been used to make root beer as well as the famous sassafras tea and the oil is still used as a fragrance in candles and soaps. Early settlers also believed that beds made from sassafras would drive away evil spirits and give people restful sleep. Share your thoughts with us in the comments below. 'dimension6': 'track', It is in leaf from April to October, in flower from May to June, and the seeds ripen from September to October. Sassafras is the ideal tree for a school leaf project because it has three leaf shapes. The tree has also been imported to Europe, probably by the Spaniards who discovered it in Florida. Scientists have discovered other interesting facts about lobed leaves on sassafras trees. function gtag(){dataLayer.push(arguments);} From spalting, to curly grain as well as wacky shaped pieces and unbelievably gorgeous slabs. Two native species of sassafras are most often noted for commercial uses: Sassafras albidum and Sassafras officinale. The sassafras is a medium-sized, deciduous tree with bright green, mitten-like leaves. Fill in your details below or click an icon to log in: You are commenting using your WordPress.com account. Sorry, I don’t know of medical purposes for sassafras. Cold, prolonged winters seem to be the factor limiting the northward distribution of the tree. Interactive Koppen Climate Classification Map for the United States; Interactive Koppen Climate Classification Map for Canada; The root bark and flowers from the trees have long been used to make teas and tonics. The 121 acres… Sassafras is common throughout the state, except in the higher mountains. They are usually small and crooked, reaching wherever possible to get to the light, but occasionally they are big and straight. “Most of what we sell goes to Europe, predominately Italy. Sassafras is one of those trees surrounded by legend and lore. This soft hardwood dries flat, is lightweight and works like butter. All lumber is rough sawn with surfacing available at the standard shop rate. Sassafras (Sassafras albidum) is an admirable tree any time of the year. The wood itself isn’t too showy and looks like a green-tinted ash when fresh cut. It is commonly found in open woods, along fences, or in fields. Noteworthy Characteristics. Native to most of the eastern United States as well as far southern Ontario, sassafras is a medium-sized (typically 30 to 60 feet [9 to 18 meters] tall) deciduous tree with an attractive tiered branching habit. Sassafras is a North American native tree that provides vivid fall color and interesting mitten-shaped leaves. Scott can be reached at 314-574-6036. Sir Walter Raleigh held a monopoly on the sassafras export; he was selling the stuff for 2,000 English pounds a ton in 1602. Sassafras is catego-rized as a Prime Farmland Soil, which means it is one of the most productive soils in the state in agriculture and forestry. The Division of Forestry promotes and applies management for the sustainable use and protection of Ohio’s private and public forest lands. in diameter. Sassafras has a wide range of uses, including furniture, interior and exterior joinery, windows, doors, door frames, kitchen cabinetry, posts, fencing, boxes, crates, containers, slack cooperage, millwork and boat building. Also have a few growing around me. It is widely prized for its durability, making it a good choice for fencing and cooperage, as well as for boat building and canoes. Long ago, the early settlers to the United States even used the bark to create an orange dye for cloth. While sassafras is lower in strength than ash, the two are similar in many respects. In the northernmost sections of its range, sassafras exists as a low, understory shrub with trunk diameters of only 6 to 8 inches. It ranges as far west as Texas and Iowa. ]]> Sapwood vulnerable to attack from powder post beetle but heartwood is considered durable. The sassafras can be expected to grow in Hardiness Zones 4–9. The leaves are often a mix of vibrant reds, oranges, and yellows, similar to the fall colors of sugar maples. Sassafras grows in woodlands in rich sandy well-drained soil from Maine to Florida, reaching a height of about 75 ft (25 m). Click on the photo above for a short video tour and see all of the steps it takes to go from a tree to finished furniture. The sassafras tree does best in partial shade and a balanced soil with sand to aid in drainage. 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