[gardeners] Sassafras
Linda Baranowski-Smith (gardeners@globalgarden.com)
Wed, 21 Oct 1998 11:32:00 -0400
Hi Everyone,
First my apologies to those of you on both Gardens' and Gardeners' lists
for getting duplicates of this e-mail. I need all the help I can get with
this question.
A friend is interested in sassafrass tree seed and this has become a major
curiosity with us...to find female trees with berries that mature in
September/October. We have a few trees that are apparently male, so we
went to the metropark just up the street. With their distinctive color and
leaf shape, the trees are certainly easy to find. None of the trees had
fruit.
The next step was to go to the library for info on female sassafras. We
found three good sources, all of which confirmed what we already knew.
Then we went to the University Arboretum. Certainly they would know and
have both male and female trees. Well, the experts there told us what we
already knew and we scoured the hundreds of trees at the arboretum to find
a female. None of the very lovely trees had berries. However, this
scavenger hunt aroused their curiosity also. :o
I now have most of the Biology Department of The U of Toledo and the
Forestry Department in Toledo looking for female sassafras trees bearing
seed. I am stumped and more interested than ever in this question!
Any input or experience out there? Anyone have female trees? TIA
Linda in NW Ohio near Toledo/Lake Erie, USDA Zone 5
llbs@mail.glasscity.net