No roots yet and its been a month and a half. Not really expecting any now.
Let me show ya sassafras.......
I had 2 sassafras each with about 5 leaves and they almost dies (Thats another story in itself). But the main trunk of the plant was still supple (bent without breaking). So I stuck 'em in dirt expecting them to die without leaves to convert food for them. Then amazingly out of the dirt around the original plant came out shoots. The roots were coming up as plants (I think that's called a rhizomes). Then a couple a months later I see plants on the other trunk.
So figured I give 'em a year and then keep the best and cut back the rest.
It's the leaves that are ground up for the file. Its the roots and bark which are used for root beer. File is both a flavor modifier as well as a thickening agent. Although you don't cook it. If cooked it becomes grainy. Its usually served as a condiment at restaurants or sprinkled on top the rice before the gumbo is ladled on.
It was another of the reasons for the original trips to the "New World" like hemp.
It has long been used as a medicine. I understand that today's ecstasy is based upon it its active ingredient and it can cause hallucinations in quantity, (as well as death).
Birds and animals eat the berries, and the berries when consumed by pregnant women will cause miscarriages. It was what the mid-wives used for abortion in ancient days.
Root Beer was given a bad name when it was started to be man made. One of the active ingredients when given a gazillion times more than could be ingested was found to cause tumors in mice. Its why you used to hear the old timers talk about the old root beer, much as we talk about the old coke and soda pops, back when sugar was used.
Anyway that's the Sassafras.
