My property has a bunch of sassafras on it, and I'm always cutting the small stuff to get it out of the way and end up burning a piece here and there in the stove. After working around a few large trees for several years, I decided to take one down and use it for burning. I cut that tree in early June if my memory is on, split it and stacked it in full sun. It's a great early season fire wood! It's very light, smells great when fresh split, and burns hot but quick. It seems to dry out extra fast and it's bark is extremely flammable compared to other trees. When it's in the stove, it's lively snapping and popping....giving great heat. It's not an over night wood, but in the evening when you can feed the stove every hour or two it's great so you can save the better stuff for long over nights or colder weather. If anyone has been avoiding using it in your stove like I was, give it a try. It's a nice wood to burn. I have quite a few more big trees I've been working around but now I'm taking one each year to use during the early and late burning season. Also, they regenerate so quickly, it's easy to have a lifetime supply.