Fragrant tree's roots, bark used as extract 10/10/2009 6:00 PM By JOHN NELSON Columnist
"Jambalaya and a crawfish pie and filet gumbo 'cause tonight, I'm gonna meet ma cher-a mio ..." -- Hank Williams, 1952
The other day, I received a request from Andrew Hartley of Batesburg, who had a list of common plants that might serve as good topics for this column. He had some really good ones on the list, and I have selected one to use here. I think you will agree that this is a fascinating species and one that most people probably know.
It has some of the most interesting leaves of any woody plant. Deep green in the summer, they turn bright red, orange or yellow in the fall. And the shape of the leaves is intriguing. (In-TREE-guing?). In addition to the "standard" football-shaped leaves, there are some that look like mittens, each blade with a lobe. The mittens may be either right- or left-"handed." And then there are sometimes leaves bearing two lobes, one on each side. (Rarely, you will find five-lobed leaves.) The plants are extremely variable in terms of which sorts of leaves are displayed: Usually, a given plant will bear unlobed as well as lobed leaves, although some plants feature only the plain, football-shaped ones.
The plants are shrubs or more commonly slender trees, 30 feet tall or so, usually shorter. (However, the biggest one in the world, reported to grow in Kentucky, is nearly 100 feet tall.) On older trees, the bark is dark and blocky. The plants like to grow on high and dry ground, often where it is sandy, and they are common throughout most of the Eastern United States. Old fields and fencerows are a frequent habitat, where the plants sometimes form thickets.
The individual plants are either male or female, and they bloom before the leaves show up in the spring while it's still chilly. Female plants produce the fruits, which are attractive and dark blue, held on reddish stalks. Each fruit, containing a single seed, is structured much like a tiny avocado, which makes sense, as avocado and the mystery plant are related, belonging to the same botanical family.
All parts of the plant are quite fragrant, especially the wood and bark. Indeed, the bark and roots have been known since the time of Spanish colonization as the source of a delicious tea, and so Europeans learned to enjoy it. The English, for a time, mixed the extract with milk and sugar and served it hot. It was quite popular and called "saloop." (You would think that's where the word "slurp" came from, but it's not.)
Saloop bars declined, though, with the introduction of coffee as a popular beverage. In America, of course, this plant has been prized as a tea and spring tonic, especially in the Appalachians. And filet gumbo consists of the dried leaves, finely ground.
And now to throw a bit of cold water on it all. The medical community suggests that there may indeed be health concerns arising from consuming extracts of this plant. Sigh. Nothing's fun anymore.
John Nelson is the curator of the Herbarium at the University of South Carolina, in the Department of Biological Sciences. As a public service, the Herbarium offers free plant identifications. For more information, visit www.herbarium.org or call (803) 777-8196.
(Answer: "Sassafras," Sassafras albidum)
Photo by Linda Lee
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