Re: [gardeners] Sassafras
drusus@golden.net (gardeners@globalgarden.com)
Thu, 22 Oct 1998 07:15:22 -0400
At 11:54 PM 21-10-98 -0400, Linda Baranowski-Smith wrote:
>George wrote:
>
>>I've been running around the woods of SE Texas and SW Louisiana all my
>>life and have never seen a sassafras tree with seeds. Doesn't mean there
>>aren't any, just I never saw any. I have a small, 6 foot, sassafras
>>growing behind the house and now have two or three 6 inch trees coming
>>up 20 to 30 feet away. Just assumed they came up from the roots. This is
>>interesting, let us know what you find out. Sassafras trees are a way of
>>life down here, that's where gumbo file comes from, ground up sassafras
>>leaves.
>>
>
>...oh me oh my ohhh...
>Crawfish pie n' file gumbo...
>Son of a gun, gonna have big fun on the bayou..
>Jumblayah...
>
>Oops, can't help myself. Had to burst into song. :o Is it file or filet
>(fill-lay)? Heard it called "zab" also.
>
>Back to sassafras... Still don't know anything. Others have suggested the
>birds may eat all the seed before they mature. Male and female flowers are
>on separate trees. The fruit is a dark blue drupe, about 1/2 inch long,
>and on the end of a red, fleshy stalk. I look at our trees year round from
>the windows and I think I'd notice. Other folks around here have never
>seen the seed either. Maybe all the local trees are male.
>
>One of our trees is about 30 feet tall and yes, it puts out suckers away
>from the tree. I've let a few of them mature. My understanding is that
>the suckers have to be root pruned the first year in order to survive a
>transplanting the second year.
>
>I need seed though because I can't take a tree to Canada. I may have to
>wait until next year to track this interesting question before September
>rolls around. Will let y'all know if I find the answer. :)
Contact Ag Canada. It is possible to import plants, esp. your own if you
are moving. You need a permit. I know several people who have done this
so it can't be that hard, Some things just don't grow from seed.
Lucinda
>
>
>Linda in NW Ohio near Toledo/Lake Erie, USDA Zone 5
>llbs@mail.glasscity.net
>
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