Picture from this Morning

17 years ago

I have had two seedlings growing since last year that I thought were sassafras; hoped that they were. When we took our walk this morning I checked the neighbor's fence row where I knew one about 10 foot tall was. I was pretty sure after checking it out that is what I have. It was further confirmed when I came back into the yard and checked the one next to my deceased River Birch (thank you ice storm!) and the leaves were stripped. I saw a couple of leaves pinched together and opened one up.

Here is what was peeking out at me:

I checked a website and sure enough, sassafras is food for this little guy, larvae of the spice bush butterfly.

I knew they were difficult to dig up and move so had planned to order some. They have the most beautiful, early fall color of any natives imo.

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Comments (4)

christie_sw_mo
17 years ago
You must either have spicebush or sassafras because that's the only two things those will eat. Aren't they cool looking!
Spicebush (lindera benzoin) smells like Lemon Pledge if you tear a leaf and smell it. Sassafras has irregular leaves, some will be lobed and others won't. The seedlings that have popped up around my yard all had only elliptical(?) leaves at first and then formed a few mitten-shaped leaves after a couple years. I've only had one come up in a spot where I could leave it. It's about four or five feet tall now and is getting a few very bright red leaves.
helenh
17 years ago
I had a monarch crysalis on my window sill. It is empty and I can not locate the butterfly. I found it on a cattle hay feeding ring that I moved. I didn't know what would come out of it until tonight when I did searches because of your picture. Now I have to find it somewhere in my house.
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gldno1
Original Author
17 years ago
Christie, I want to order the spice bush next spring. I have never seen one growing in the wild.

I think I can leave the one that is next to the smokehouse...will have to measure to be sure. They seem to be slow growing.

Mine just have the elliptical leaves too and the one growing in the fence row doesn't have many mitten shaped leaves yet.

A couple of years ago the neighbor brought me one of the caterpillars she found in the road by the woods for me to identify. I couldn't imagine what they were eating then...now I know.
bunny6
17 years ago
It's awesome! I have never seen one before. I showed the picture to my husband and son and of course my son wanted to go to the forest and look for one. Gldno-you have a wonderful eye for small animals. I have started slowing down on my nature hikes and looking for smaller species.