clemsonfor
Super Member
I can't tell the diameter from the photo, but I have a couple big sassafras on my property. :thumbsup: Probably well over 18" diameter.
As for cottonwood, I have never seen a branch come off the side of a cottonwood like that. Most of them around here are pretty straight, about half have multiple trunks from the base, but can't recall a branch like that. Wish we had a leaf from it.
The biggest sassyfrass i have seen around here may be pushing 4" DBH. I dont know why but i have rarely seen bigger. I have seen places with many small ones in the hundreds per acre range but all in the under story? I have seen some short stout cottonwoods. But yes i would agree this is not a character trait to identify cottonwood by. Like poplar its often a tall straight tree. But like people they are often highly variable. Some people have third arms and shorter ones and ones stragely misplaced from the normal, as well as midgets exist. Similar deformaties also exist in the plant and tree community. Wow that sounded really politically correct.
