PLANT OF THE WEEK: SASSAFRAS

PLANT of the WEEK SASSAFRAS Second only to Tobacco, Sassafras, a North American treasure, that prompted 16th Century exploration of New England. From health tea to perfume to root beer and fine furniture it was welcomed at Old World. Banned as a substance unfit for human consumption the Department of Agriculture has reversed the ban. Limited study that created the error saw liver damage occur. Problem was that a human would have to consume 48 pounds per day for 1o years for the effect. Popular for many species it is eaten by critters from White Tailed Deer to Polar Bears with rabbits in between. Its tree size growth and shape is very popular as nesting trees, especially Herons. Heron rookeries are frequently near human activity. Projects from Florida to Western Canada with ponds and lakes as well as seaside surrounds can attract Herons by planting Sassafras verges. The young plants need to be protected year round from Deer especially White Tail Deer. Once they are over 8 feet tall they are safe from early demise. The magic in the plants include substances that fish dependent creatures such as Herons ingest by consuming blossoms and tender shoot of new growth. Using them as in inland, upland plant to stabilize area adjacent to Salt Marsh Revitalization has great potential. Long Island Sound is a great example of policies similar to similar to the Sassafras ban. This unique East/West oriented estuary has been a favorite location for a myriad of species since it was formed mere 10,000 years in Geologic Time. Human occupation of its shores began an estimated 3,000 ago by Munsee literate humans, followed by Dutch and presently a majority of English speakers. The one thing in common is that the water volume capacity has been decreasing do to siltation. As the glaciers retreated dramatic runoff of soils created long Island and islands and peninsulas, as time went on salt marshes began forming as a result of vegetation sequence. Salt Marshes became enemies of government and were actively eliminated to “protect health and increase economic vitality”. This government policy has been redacted, ironically in the same timeframe as the lifting of the Sassafras ban. Reversing government policy is just now one step away from the creation, enhancement and restoration of Salt Marshes. The requirement that all dredge material from harbors and streams be shipped offshore and dumped back into the Sound must have made sense at one time. That rationale helped justify the active elimination of marshes. Add in the policy anti-dredging policy to return areas to the natural state that never existed and it is understandable that poor quality water through lack of marsh filtering and shallow, easy to warm waters domination feeds widespread death and destruction to innumerable creatures. And makes the human experience of interaction summed well by The Great Gatsby author calling it New York’s sewer dump. High winds build waves that can cause damage to islands and shorefront. These are limited along the Connecticut Coast to 180 degrees or 50% of the possible. Using dredge materials to build up elevations that climb from the 4 to 8 feet above Mean High Water Level then provide a Sassafras Verge opportunity. As policies are modernized this will become the norm rather than the irrational of today. Using your Sassafras for tea and flavoring your own Root Beer while your bird buddies raise their young who will have a better place to swim and fish, so will you and yours. Material yield from dredging will help ease the water level rise caused by runoff yield displacing water and increase of temperatures. Standing tall and strong above the marshes Sassafras Egret Hostels venues will thrive. Bigger islands, better root beer, health tonic tea, flagrancies, more birds, fish here’s to Sassafras, time to get off our……?