# Sassafras Trees... Valuable? (Pardon the Double Post!!!)



## ryno101 (May 14, 2008)

I am not sure whether this is the appropriate forum for this question… I did post it in the "Woodworking Trade & Swap" forum as well… please pardon my double posts!

Anyway, I have several (5 or 6) Sassafras trees in my yard that need to go. My father was out this past weekend, he's been clearing a sizable lot in Western MA, and has been working with a Consulting Forester to get the best prices for his timber. We were telling him that we were planning on hiring a local arborist to get the trees out. He thought that the timber was valuable enough that someone would probably pay us to take them out!

I did a little research, and Consulting Foresters usuallly work with much larger timber stands, and I am not sure that it would be worth hiring someone like that… figured I'd put the question out to the LJ community and see if y'all had any advice?

For more detail:
The lot in question is one that would make felling and removal of the trees a simple matter.
I have 5 or 6 trees, between 12"-18" in diameter, about 60 feet tall.

Any advice?


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## johnpoole (Nov 28, 2008)

i think that depends on location more then anything else. they are great wood. the roots sell for 8 to 12 dollars a pound in the right market. IF there is a woodworking club in your area, they might remove for the wood value. in my location most great hardwood gets used for firewood or pushed into a pile and burned. there is so much hardwood, no one would pay for a single tree or such a small stand.


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## Russel (Aug 13, 2007)

From what I can find, it looks as if you've got somewhere between 1000 and 1500 board feet of lumber in logs that size and the typical price I've found for Sassafras is about $2.00 to $2.50 a board foot. That brings a potential retail value of $2,000 to $3,500.

I'd be suprised if you found anyone who would pay you to take them out, though you may find someone who won't charge you. From a business perspective it may not be enough to bother with considering the costs of cutting, hauling and drying. But, from a hobbyist view, it may be worth you while to hire a portable mill and have them sliced up.

I'll be curious what the pros have to say.


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## knotscott (Feb 27, 2009)

It'd be nice wood to have for yourself regardless. Sassafras is a nice wood to work with, looks good, and smells good. It'd be pretty neat to build something from an attractive wood that came from my own property.


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## Catspaw (Dec 15, 2007)

At 5 or 6 trees, I'd fell them and have a sawyer lumber them for my own personal use.


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## SCOTSMAN (Aug 1, 2008)

No matter what your view is your father is absolutely correct these are worth money .But you have to speculate to accumulate so I'd say pay to have then cut down or do it yourself, and then sell them boarded or by the tree.If there is any property nearby make sure you get the company doing it to have insurance in case of emergency.Alistair


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