Sourwood typically develops into a broadly conical tree with branches that droop toward their tips, giving it a graceful appearance. Leaves are alternate, simple, oblong to lance-shaped and 3 to 8 inches long. Leaf tips taper to a point and leaf margins are minutely toothed. Summer leaves are glossy green.

What does a Sourwood tree bloom look like?

This tree: Blooms from June to early July, with fragrant white flowers on drooping stalks that look very similar to lilies-of-the-valley. Features simple, elliptic or oblong leaves that are dark green in color and range from 4–8" long.

Are there male and female sourwood trees?

Sourwood trees are cosexual (both male and female parts within each flower) with very notice- able and unique flowering structures. Individual sourwood flowers are small, regular, symmetrically shaped, fragrant, and showy. Individual flowers are bell or urn shaped with white to creamy-white colored petals.

What type of tree is sourwood?

Oxydendrum arboreum, commonly called sourwood or sorrel tree, is a deciduous understory tree that is native to the eastern United States from Pennsylvania south to Florida and Louisiana.

Where are sourwood trees found?

Sourwood is found from southwest Pennsylvania to southern Ohio, and southern Indiana, south to southeastern Louisiana and the coastal region of Mississippi, Alabama, and northwest Florida; west to western Kentucky and Tennessee, and to the Delta in Mississippi; and east to the Atlantic coast from southern Virginia to ...

Identifying The Sourwood Tree Native To Appalachia

Do all sourwood trees bloom?

Sourwood trees, also called sorrel trees, offer delight in every season, with flowers in summer, brilliant color in fall and ornamental seed pods in winter.

Can you eat Sourwood leaves?

Edibility and culinary use

Sourwood leaves are edible; they have a pleasant acidic taste. You can consume the leaves raw or cooked. The acidic flavor can add some fresh, tanginess to many different dishes.

At what age do Sourwood trees bloom?

Luckily for us gardeners, they will flower at three to four years of age. Native sourwoods are found either in the forest or colonizing in open fields, so they can take either full sun or shade; flowering and fall color will be better with greater light.

Why is it called Sourwood?

The name sourwood comes from the sour (or sharp acidic) odor and flavor of the leaves (from oxalic acid). The name oxydendrum is Greek for “oxy” meaning sharp or acid and “dendrum” for tree. The fall brings bright scarlet crimson and orange leaves. Sourwood trees bloom from mid June to late July.

Do deer eat Sourwood Trees?

If deer are hungry enough, they'll eat just about anything. ... Here are a few deer-resistant plants: Trees: sourwood, sweetgum, birch, catalpa, blue spruce, Russian olive. Shrubs: barberry, boxwood, privet, fothergilla, lilac, quince, spirea.

Is Sourwood a hardwood?

Sourwood | The Wood Database - Lumber Identification (Hardwood)

Is there a lily of the valley tree?

Clethra arborea, commonly known as the lily-of-the-valley-tree, is a flowering plant in the genus Clethra. It is found in Macaronesia where it is native to Madeira, extinct in the Canary Islands, and considered an introduced species in the Azores.

What zones do Sourwood trees grow in?

Culture: Sourwood is an exceptional tree for slightly acidic (pH 5.5-6.5), well-drained soils. It can be grown in full sun or partial shade although flowering and fall color are best in full sun. The tree does reasonably well in dry, neutral soils. Sourwood can be grown in Zones 5 (perhaps 4) to 9.

Are Sourwood trees hard to grow?

Being a native tree, One would think it should be easy to grow in the lawn or garden. This is unfortunately not so. Sourwood Trees have a reputation of being very difficult to grow in domestication. this difficulty can be overcome by studying the conditions under which it grows best.

Do Sourwood trees grow in Florida?

One of the loveliest trees of the eastern United States, it is fairly common from Pennsylvania through the Appalachians south to Georgia, down through the Florida panhandle and into Louisiana. ...

Are sourwood trees Evergreen?

sourwood, also called sorrel, (species Oxydendrum arboreum), deciduous ornamental tree, of the heath family (Ericaceae), native to southeastern North America.

How do you propagate sourwood?

Place the seedling tray under a fluorescent light. Keep the light on 24 hours a day until the seeds germinate in three to four weeks. Once the sourwood tree seeds sprout, fertilize them every two weeks. Use an acidic fertilizer that is diluted according to the manufacturer's instructions for sprouts.

How do you fertilize a Sourwood tree?

Let your sourwood establish for a year before fertilizing. After its leaves drop in fall, scatter a fertilizer for acid-loving plants on the soil. Winter rains help the roots absorb the fertilizer and feed spring growth. Spread the fertilizer in a circle, beginning at the outer two-thirds of the branch spread.

Can goats eat Sourwood trees?

I strip off leaves of many trees to dry for my goats as winter treats. Sourwood and tulip poplar don't dry very well, but the other stuff does. Maple, sweet or black gum, elm, grape leaves, kudzu, lespedeza, black or honey locust. The last three are legumes and have high protein.

Is Sourwood a fragrant?

This is a fine ornamental with its white, urn-shaped fragrant flowers that grow in long clusters. It is named for its sour tasting leaves that turn a brilliant red in the fall. With its late bloom and beautiful, brilliant autumnal coloring, the sourwood is a desirable ornamental tree in lawns and parks. ...

How long does Sourwood bloom last?

The sourwood tree (Oxydendrum arboreum) begins to flower the third week of June with blooms only lasting for three weeks. Its lovely white, bell-shaped floret is also an abundant nectar producer.

What is the color of Sourwood honey?

Sourwood is generally light amber in color. The taste is rich and full, with subtle notes of caramel and anise. But Oglesby said identifying real sourwood honey requires expertise.

Is Sorrel a tree?

The Sorrel Tree, also known as Sourwood, Latin name Oxydendrum Arboreum is a decorative deciduous tree that offers a low maintenance, architectural specimen with multi-seasonal interest for your lawn, patio, shade garden or open woodland areas.