Sassafras Bonsai

This Sassafras tree was growing in the yard, protected between two metal fence posts.

I had thought about making a tea out of it, but after looking up Sassafras (in Wikipedia) I was surprised that the teas are banned by the FDA because Sassafras contains chemicals that can cause cancer and liver damage. I doubt it's all that harmful, compared to other things, but decided I'd try making it into a bonsai.

The wild plant:


After digging it up. I had to trim the roots down a bit for it to fit in the new container:


It's new home. I'm not sure if it will survive .. it's more or less an experiment. Although I do know Sassafras is pretty sturdy. To propagate it, you can just cut off small branches and plant them.


I'll trim this back a little more after it bounces back from the transplant.

Bonsai!

Well, the mulberry tree bounced back nicely in in a temporary container. So I completed the pruning and moved it to a bonsai pot. I'm thinking of making this into a cascade style (growing below the side of the container):


The maple tree (below) is still recuperating from the initial transfer.