Sassafras Ages

Sassafras Ages

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TOPIC: Sassafras
http://groups.google.com/group/entstrees/browse_thread/thread/5e3bf4294f3fb1ed?hl=en
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== 1 of 1 ==
Date: Sun, Jul 27 2008 5:05 pm
From: "Edward Frank"

Will, ENTS,

Do any of you have any ring counts for sassafras? The oldest age Neil Pederson has on his list http://people.eku.edu/pedersonn/oldlisteast / is only 125 years. Will, I know you reported core age sin the 180 range from the Smokies, but I don't have any specific numbers. Nobody else has sent in ages old than 125 to the general ENTS Maximum age http://www.nativetreesociety.org/dendro/ents_maximum_ages.htm list either. It is a species have always liked.

Edward Frank

== 2 of 10 ==
Date: Mon, Jul 28 2008 5:57 pm
From: "Edward Frank"

Thank you Beth.

I am looking for ages greater than 125 years. The big sassafras in Kentucky has a girth of 271 inches, so surely the species has a much greater age range than has been documented so far. I would not be surprised at maybe 300 years.

Ed

== 3 of 10 ==
Date: Mon, Jul 28 2008 6:33 pm
From: Gary Smith

Sassafras are interesting trees, but I would be surprised at 300 years
for one stem, based on little besides gut instinct.

Anybody here ever have sassafras tea, made from the roots?

I had some as a young boy, and decided never again, along with Bull of
the Woods chewing tobacco, lol.

== 4 of 10 ==
Date: Mon, Jul 28 2008 6:39 pm
From: "Edward Frank"

Gary,

That is why we need better numbers. Some of the specimens around are huge. Yes I have had sassafras tea. I liked mine with lots of sugar. In some stores you can buy the root shavings to make tea.

Ed

== 7 of 10 ==
Date: Mon, Jul 28 2008 7:59 pm
From: "Will Blozan"

I wouldn't doubt 300 years at all. I have cored them to 190 years (small
diameter to pith) and ~200 to rot on "large" trees in the Smokies. Slow
growing, decay resistant, poor soils= old trees.

Will

== 8 of 10 ==
Date: Mon, Jul 28 2008 8:03 pm
From: "Edward Frank"

send me some specific numbers from your notes if you have them for my list

== 9 of 10 ==
Date: Mon, Jul 28 2008 8:05 pm
From: Gary Smith

Ed,

Well, maybe I need to give sassafras tea another chance with a little
sugar.

btw, 271 inches of girth for a sassafras is amazing. The largest I've
ever seen in the woods down here was probably 2.5 ft dbh.

Sassafras makes a great ornamental with the mitten leaves, candleabra
(sp?) flowering arrangement, and orangish fall colors, at least in my
corner of the world. They are considered difficult to transplant,
which is why they don't seem to be common in the nursery trade, I
guess.

gs

== 10 of 10 ==
Date: Mon, Jul 28 2008 8:13 pm
From: "Edward Frank"

Gary,

When I was a kid collecting leaves one of my hobbies - I would look for sassafras leaves. In young sprouts sometimes you could find leaves with up to 7 fingers. Different shaped leaves were something I always thought was cool.

Ed

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