Hi Linda, You can also propagate Sassafras by root cuttings. Allen Bastrop Co.,Tx Linda Baranowski-Smith wrote: > 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