In loving memory of Kenis D. Keathley 6/4/81 - 3/27/22 Loving father, husband, brother, friend and firewood hoarder Rest in peace, Dexterday

Wood I'd please- sassafras?

Discussion in 'The Wood Pile' started by fishingpol, Nov 5, 2017.

  1. fishingpol

    fishingpol

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    My neighbor and I cut a truckload of wood this morning. My first thoughts were oak on the bark, but the splintered pieces were not oak grain. No open grain at all. Oaks still have their leaves here too. Within cutting the first two blocks I knew they were too light. Any thoughts?

    Bark shot.

    20171105_103028.jpg

    Light, straight grain, sweet smelling and some hornets found the fresh splits pretty quick. It splits very easily.

    20171105_110608.jpg


    Reddish just under the bark. It will be next year's shoulder season wood.

    1509898450844499548910.jpg
     
  2. Eric VW

    Eric VW Moderator

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    Sweet smell..... with maybe a subtle but pungent brightness in that aroma? Then I’d say sassafras is it.
    Great shoulder wood....fire pit, smoker....
    Nice load, fishingpol :yes:
     
  3. fishingpol

    fishingpol

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    Thanks Eric. I haven't seen sass around here, so it is a new firsthand I'd for me.
     
  4. bang

    bang

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    I have a good bit of sassafras here but i've never split or burned any. The texture of the bark looks like sass but around here the bark has a reddish tint on the outside.
     
  5. Eric VW

    Eric VW Moderator

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    That’s the way it was when I was growing up on LI.... here in SW Virginia, it’s more brown w/ a gray washed look, but when split you see that reddish colored transition right where bark meets sapwood.
    :yes:
     
  6. HDRock

    HDRock

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    Looks like cottonwood .
    I here sass smells like mint
     
  7. gboutdoors

    gboutdoors

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    Does not look like the sassafras we have here. Bark is brownish red and the iner layer of bark is much more orange in color. The bark on yours looks much more gray and not as deep as our sassafras.
     
  8. fishingpol

    fishingpol

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    Hmmmm. :sherlock:

    Does cottonwood have an odor?
     
  9. BigPapi

    BigPapi

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    Animal urine. Around here, anyway. :)
     
  10. fishingpol

    fishingpol

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    These splits are on the sweet smelling side.
     
  11. TurboDiesel

    TurboDiesel

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    Our Sassafras only get to about 6-8" here. Usually 4-5".
    Light brown bark with red tint. Very sweet smell. Yellow inside.
     
  12. HDRock

    HDRock

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    Cottonwood I had smelled kinda sweet but weird , hard to describe
    It worked good for quick hot fire when you only need a little heat
    Some of it split clean , some was stringy, inside bark stringy too

    20150402_123718.jpg 20150402_132952.jpg 20150402_132504.jpg
     
  13. Nicholas62388

    Nicholas62388

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    I had some sassafras a couple years ago....it smelled like root beer when I split it, it was amazing
     
  14. HDRock

    HDRock

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    Yeah , I think mint is wrong :emb:
     
  15. dylskee

    dylskee

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    I've got a decent sized Sassafras tree on my property, it does have a minty smell to it and reddish under the bark like that. The leaves turn bright red in the fall, it's real pretty. They turn quick and fall quick. Looked at it one morning and it had 2 red leaves, 2 more days the entire tree was red! I've never burned any though.
     
  16. Nicholas62388

    Nicholas62388

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    are y'all sure its sassafras? lol I have never ever thought my sassafras was minty, straight root beer smell...I would double check that folks
     
  17. Moparguy

    Moparguy

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    If you crush a sassafras leaf in your hand it will smell like citrus. The OP's picture doesn't look like sassafras to me...maybe Catalpa?
     
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  18. gboutdoors

    gboutdoors

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    Yup I have lots of sassafras out back and definitely root beer smell not minty at all. Very light weight.
     
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  19. fishingpol

    fishingpol

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    I did not see any catalpa bean pods on the ground in the area, but I don't know if all trees have pods. There were a few oaks and two elm trees next to the mystery tree and I found leaves for those. I searched catalpa bark images, and it looks close to what I have.
     
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  20. MikeInMa

    MikeInMa

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    Sassafras smells like root beer. I have alot around here

    Black Birch smells like mint/wintergreen. I have some growing here

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