Sassafras albidum |
Origin: East North America
Zone Range: 4-9
Preferred Situation: Full/semi sun; deep very well draining average soil.
Harvest Date: Friday 01 February, 2008
Description:
Deciduous tree with yellow flowers; unique shaped leaves; scarlet fall color. Whole plant smells like cinnamon-citrus. Grows to 10 meter tall with an 8 meter spread.
Notes:
Rare tree of the Carolinian forest. Gendered species. Dried berries protect the high oil content in seeds from oxidizing, which would greatly affect embryo viability. Do not over water seedlings
Cultivation:
Break dormancy: soak 24 hours; sow 8mm deep (use deep containers), keep moist; stratify at 2-4 C for 120 days; then 25 C to germinate. Months to germ: 2-18. Protect from birds with screen or mulch (remove as seedlings emerge). Some seedlings emerge after 3 weeks (post soaking) in an unheated greenhouse. I sow the seed half way in a 1 inch deep layer of stucco sand and sprinkle bird grit over the top until sand layer not visible. I place the sown pot under an apple tree (along with the Paeonia, Cornus, and Acer seed). Sassafras seed, seedlings and saplings cannot tolerate standing water or stagnant conditions. Seeds should never be exposed to light. Red scented shoots should appear by late April. Do not disturb any seedlings until following spring as some ungerminated seed need an additional round of warm-cold stratification to wake the embryo.
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