Sassafras-Sassafras albidum

Ponder This:

The Sassafras tree is one busy tree! It is one of those rare trees that can have three different types of leaves on one branch. It grows to a height that matches most other trees but it can be pruned and used as a shrub for landscaping. Its wood and oil is used for everything from boats to soaps. Its fruit is a favorite for deer and birds and its leaves have different colors in spring, summer, and fall. Not too long ago it was an ingredient in both root beer and tea and at one time in our history this tree’s root, bark, and leaves were considered a cure-all for almost every known ailment!

One of its most significant attributes, and a great way to identify a Sassafras tree, is to simply smell a crushed leave, or even the bark. The aroma will quickly tell you if you have the right tree.

It is like that in life isn’t it? Just like the Sassafras tree there are people that are always busy, always working, always getting things done. Busy. Disciplined. Important. The world admires people like that. But the Bible teaches the importance of inner motivation as well. What is at the heart of your busyness? Is your work done with love? Is it an offering to God that results in what the Bible calls a “sweet smelling fragrance”?

The Sassafras tree can serve as a good reminder to us. It is hard to identify the type of person you are unless your hard work is done with a joyful spirit and warm heart.

Sassafras is a plant. It is a genus of 3 extant and 1 extinct species of deciduous trees in the family 'Lauraceae' and is native to North America and eastern Asia. It is very aromatic. The Sassafras can live up to one-thousand years and produces three different types of leaves on the same tree. Best known for the tea made from its leaves and bark, and roots used in cosmetics. Native Americans used this specimen to treat fever, diarrhea, toothache, insect bites and arthritis. Timber is used to make buckets, cabinets, and furniture.

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Sassafras is actually a plant. It is a genus of 3 extant and 1 extinct species of deciduous trees in the family 'Lauraceae' and is native to North America and eastern Asia. It is very aromatic. The Sassafras can live up to one-thousand years and produces three different types of leaves on the same tree. Best known for the tea made from its leaves and bark, and roots used in cosmetics. Native Americans used this specimen to treat fever, toothache, insect bites and arthritis. Timber is used to make buckets, cabinets, and furniture.