Sassafrass and Spicewood

Sassafrass

In this section of the country, early March has always been the time to go out into the hills and ridges to hunt for sassafras. Usually when a stand of this tree was located, it provided a source of each coming year's supply. This tree is very tenacious. It has the ability to shoot up new sprouts when roots are cut from the tree.

The old timers maintain there are two varieities of 'sassafras'. The first is what they called 'white sassafras'. It grows along roadways in thick clusters, usually from three to six feet tall. It has about the same characteristics as the other variety, however, the bark does not turn pink to red when the root is damaged.

The other variety, and most popular is the 'red'. When the outside bark of the root is cut, it begins to turn pink. This is the species that is most prized. Generally it is found on hills and ridges. Sometimes it grows in mountainous areas to a height of thirty or more feet.

A sassafras tree can be recognized by its greenish bark on the twigs. Larger trees, the bark is very deep red to dark brown in color.

The simplest test is to dig into the ground, several feet away from the base of the tree, until you uncover a root branch. A chip can be cut from the root with your mattock. If it is sassafras, it will begin to turn pink. Also, you can easily detect the odor from the bark.

When a root is uncovered and identified, one can then follow back to the base of the tree. Here the root is cut free of the tree. By gently pulling on the free end you can begin to remove the ground until the tip is reached. Sometimes the root and its branches will be five to six feet long, and ranging from the size of your arm to that of a lead pencil. Several roots of this size will provide you a year's supply and have some left to give your neighbors and friends.

When the roots are brought home, they should be thoroughly washed to remove the soil. The next part of your job now is to remove the bark from the roots. When cutting the bark, you can quite easily detect when you are getting into the woody section.

After the bark has been removed in small strips it must be dried thoroughly. This takes about a week. After the bark is thoroughly dry, it can be placed in a jar or can for future use.

When you want to make the tea, about a dozen chips of the bark is immersed into a large pan of boiling water. Let it stand for several hours. If your tea is too strong, additional water can be added. The contents of the pan should not be thrown out after the first or second serving. By adding water after each serving one can get almost a weeks use from your first batch. A few spoonsful of sugar and a little milk can be added to your tea just as you do with the commercial teas.

You may wonder what you can do with the wood sections of the root? Many a settler's wife kept her winter clothes and bed clothing in her chest free from moths and other pests by spreading handsful of sassafras roots among them. Many farmers made their chicken roosts from sassafras poles. The odor from the poles kept the chickens free from mites.

The wives of our early pioneers had their favorite recipes for making sassafras jelly. I have read several of them and they all appear to me that they would be delicious. Many children born and raised on farms know the spicy taste of the buds of sassafras trees. They must also be picked in the spring before they burst into leaves.

In the summer, sassafras can be recognized by its leaves. It is not unusual to find three different leaves on one twig. One may be an oval, while the others may resemble either the right or left hand mitten. While we are on the subject of leaves, we must mention that dried sassafras leaves are the basic ingredients of certain foods that have been served in many years in the New Orleans area.

Sassafras played a very important role in the history of our first colonists. They learned from the Indian the many uses of this tree. The Virginian tribes called it 'WINAUK'.

Actually the name 'sassafras' is Spanish. Europeans first learned of this product through the Spanish Explorers. It became so much in demand that the English sent ships to the shores of the new world searching for this tree. This was the first export from the colonies.

Although the name 'sassafras' is the most commonly known name, yet, in some areas it is called the 'Gumbo tree, Mitten tree. Ague tree' and many others.

The Indians had great faith in its curative powers. According to the traditional legend of the Lenape tribes, they migrated into Eastern part of this country, which is now Pennsylvania, and were great users of sassafras. Many times they would mix these roots with other herbs. They believed that by drinking 'sassafras' it cooled the blood.

If you would like to have the exercise and pleasure of getting your own supply of sassafras, drive out into the hills and ridges But, first, stop at the farmer's house and ask permission to trespass Perhaps the land owner may enjoy your company and go with you. Oh, yes, be a good sport and dig some for him.

Spicewood

In the past year or more I have asked more than a hundred people, "Did you ever hear of Spicewood, or do you know what it is"? Much to my surprise, only three people were able to answer me. "Yes, I know what Spicewood is".

This shrub can be found along most small mountain streams. It grows to a height of three to ten feet and where undisturbed it can become a thick mass of roots and small shoots.

As a young lad, I used to accompany my father every spring for Sassafras. After getting our supply of roots, we never failed to bring back some spicewood. Instead of digging for the roots, we would take our pocketknives and cut small branches, from the thickness of a lead pencil to smaller limbs.

A 'spring tonic' or tea is made by taking about a dozen branches broken into small pieces, and placing them in boiling water and allow to stand for a few hours. The spicy oils of the twigs provides a delicious beverage. A small amount of sugar and milk can be added to the hot liquid just as you prepare a cup of commercial tea. Like sassafras, water can be added to the pot each day as the twig releases its flavor slowly.

This bush was used by the Colonists. In the Revolutionary War days they dried the red berries in the fall for their winters supply of allspice. Many soldiers in the Civil War used this drink for their tea when coffee was not available.

I am told the leaves of this bush can also be dried and then used to brew a tea, however, I have never tried this method.

In the spring, this bush bears beautiful but small yellow blooms before the leaves appear. In the fall the leaves turn to a yellow color while the fruit or berries to a beautiful red. It is a very attractive shrub, but very seldom found in gardens. However, it can be raised in low swampy soil as it likes to 'keep its feet wet'. It belongs to the Laurel family, and is known by several names—Spice-bush, spicewood and Benjamin-bush. This spring, with the owners permission, gather a few handsful of spicewood twigs and brew yourself a cup of tea. It's delicious.