Sharon I just don't know how to thank you enough for the wonderful trip down memory lane this morning. I felt like I was walking right along with you and Aunt Bett. I could even smell the scent of sassafras.

Cliff used to bring it home when they had to dig the roots out when they were repairing gas lines in the Los Angeles area, back in the 60's. My children grew up drinking sassafras tea in the winter and spring. I can almost feel the steam on my face as I cradle a cup of it under my nose. Now my mouth is watering and coffee doesn't sound near as good now.

Nothing like a warm sweet cup of Sassafrass tea. I loved it. Been a long time since I had any tea. we do have some sassafrass trees, Now I'll have to mark them so I'll know where to dig.
Aunt Bett was a true Treasure to have taught you so much. She wanted you to carry on her legacy, little did she know it would be thru a Computer.
Now you are the Treasure bearer and we are the learners.
Thank you for having us in your life of teaching.
Hugs and mule nuzzles....

I have two little Sassafrass trees, one in my front yard and one at the Fielder house butterfly garden.
They were given to me by members from east Texas at swaps. The are very slow growing but very pretty, no butterflies on them yet.

Thank you for another wonderful story, Sharon.

I love sassafrass, my dh and I were just talking about it, how he would chew the twigs on walks with his pawpaw, It's one of the plants I've been wanting to grow too. I'll let you know if I find seeds.

Yep, sassafras freak here, too. It grew abundantly in the mountains where I grew up; you most likely have it in your area, too, Vic.

We'd pull it in the spring though. Well, I say "we" but it was mostly my Grandmother doing the pullin'. My arms were about as big around as pencils and could manage a tiny sapling but Granny impressed me more than once yanking up a biggun.

I've attempted to transplant some from our farm to others but have met with no success, yet. By the time I dig up a young one and separate it from the parent there is very little root system to get it going. Might be worth trying again though and after all the recent rains maybe this ground is soft enough. Hmmm..... :>)

Nice walk down Memory Lane, Sharon. Much obliged!
Shoe

Loved your article, Sharon!
What beautiful pictures you painted!
I knew nothing about the Sassafras, so learned alot!
Thanks!!

Scroll down in the links to see what these sites say

Propagation of sassafras:

http://www.wildflower.org/plan...

http://www.floridata.com/ref/s...

http://flatbushgardener.blogsp...

Thanks for the links, Ann!

Oops, I'm late to the party this morning! Seems I stirred up some fun memories for you. Good! That's just what I wanted to do.

I've been craving sassafras tea since I wrote this article and some of you have it growing right there at your place. Some morning you're going to wake up and I'll be out there digging in your woods, Vic.

Sasparilla. I might be wrong but I thought that was a vining plant. I remember the word and I remember the taste of the drink, but I don't remember anything about it as a plant. Tell you the truth, if I didn't learn about it from Aunt Bett, I just don't know, which also means if it didn't grow in the Appalachians, I wouldn't recognize it. And if you notice, my knowledge is mostly limited to medicinal plants, or what was once considered medicinal.

But I'm so glad so many of you know or remember sassafras. Chelle, you're our young one, and you have a treasure growing in your yard. I hope you enjoy having it as much as I did. If given the opportunity, they tend to get fat and wide, or at least the one that grew in my great grandparents' yard did. It was a gorgeous tree, short and sturdy enough that it was never threatened by winds. The tree was older than I was, and only in about 2002 when it was damaged by lightening was there a problem with it. We lost it the following year because of the damage. That's the last time I had sassafras tea, too.

Thanks for the links, Ann.

And thanks to all of you for reading the article. Enjoy your memories!

Those trees are actually creeping onto our property from the adjacent woods. It's one of the better creepers we've acquired, that's for sure! Now I know why we have so many of the songbirds you listed above. I'd always wondered why some of them were here when our habitat didn't otherwise seem ideal for them. I didn't get any root-bark today, but the ground isn't frozen solid yet, and tomorrow's another day.

How long have you had the tree, Chelle? Is it an old one?

There are many. I just really noticed what they were a year ago. I have no idea how old they actually are since we didn't plant them. The closest one to the walking path is probably 7 to 9 inches in circumference, if that says anything.

Oh good, then they are happy where they are and you'll have tons of wildlife as long as they're there. The one near the walking path is quite young, I think. But if they're spreading, you'll have sassafras tea forever!!

Envy!!

Such a beautiful article! I could feel the love you have for you Aunt Bett and Ninna in your words:) I almost felt as if I were with you in the cold December chill and in the quiet of the mountains. Your stories are to me like reading a book that I can't put down. My husband hates books but I love them. He used to wonder how I could read and make the words into pictures in my mind as if I were watching a movie. I attribute it to the author who can paint the picture and you do it so well.

I think it is amazing that Sassafras was the #2 export from America after tobacco in the 17th century. And that it was banned as a carcinogen. Phooey! Now I want to go out and dig up a sapling so I can try the sassafras tea again. I had it once when I was about 13 and was visiting a girlfriend. Her mother made sassafras tea and I remember that it tasted like root beer, but have never had it since. Your article stirred up a long forgotten memory. Thanks!

Thanks, Vickie.
One of my favorite trees and teas, too!

And I like to write. Can you tell?
Gotta have some place to put all my memories.

Your articles certainly do paint a picture and are evidence that you do love to write

Sharon said:Thanks Allison!
This one was pretty close to my heart. It's the only favorite tree from my childhood that I don't have growing anywhere near me. So . . . I have my brother on a search for a sassafras seedling. Reckon I'll be around long enough for it to grow??

My semi-local native nursery has sassafras trees -- I'm adding that to my list of what to buy from them this year.