Andrew Hughes is a certified arborist and member of the International Society of Arborists specializing in tree heal care. Sourwood tree is a plant that is native to eastern North America. Sourwood Tree Seedlings for Planting | 1-2 Feet Tall Live Tree Plants - Stunning Red Leaves and White Flowers (2 Trees) $42.96 $ 42. Alternate, simple, finely-toothed, glossy green leaves (3 to 6 inches long to 1 to 3 inches wide) entire to serrate margin shiny and glossy, reminiscent of a peach or laurel leaf. Being a slow-growing tree that takes a bit of time to mature, using fertilizer during the first five years will not do much other than stimulating limb growth. Sourwood trees are hardy in USDA zones 5 through 9. The scientific name for sourwood comes from the Greek words oxys (acid) and dendron (tree) and refers to the sour taste of its leaves. To ensure healthy growth, its vital to choose a fertilizer for acid-loving trees. Sourwood Honey comes from the Sourwood tree (Oxydendrum arboreum) a member of the Ericaceae family, also called the Sour gum, Sorrel tree or Lily-of-the-Valley tree.This showy, USA native tree is the lone species of its genera. Plant the sourwood tree in full sun in a location that gets at least six hours of sunlight daily. However, ensuring the sourwood tree gets plenty of sunlight and adequate water should make it resistant to most diseases. The panicles persist after flowers drop and resemble long fingers. Sourwood tree ( Oxydendrum arboreum) is a small deciduous tree that's native to eastern North America. It has a few pest or disease problems such as webworm and twig blight, but is easily treated. This tree grows to be 25-30 feet in height and has a spread of about 20 feet at full maturity. Their larvae eat through and overwinter in the stem tissue. Hardy in planting zones 4-9. You can also use a tree fertilizer with an NPK rating of 10-10-10. Its leaves are rich green and turn yellow, red, and purple in the fall. When fully grown, these products can reach 30-60 feet and prefer well-drained soils. A very ornamental plant, it will flower in 4 to 5 years after planting from seed. This plant prefers acidic, peaty, moist, well-drained soils in full sun to part shade. Mix peat, composted pine bark or other organic material into the removed soil and begin refilling the hole, stopping halfway to water the roots and let the tree settle. Prune an older tree to maintain its shape and remove pest-damaged, broken, rubbing or downward-growing limbs. The flowers are white and appear on the branches in summer. An Equal Opportunity University. Then its vital to prune the sourwood tree in early spring to encourage new growth and maintain its shape. It might hang over the front corner/porch a bit, leaning as even healthy sourwoods do. Pennsylvania to Florida, west to Louisiana and Ohio. Branches are narrow, elongate, decurved then swept upright, and persist after leaves. The white-shaped flowers get opened, and the tree is very easily recognized. A thread in the Trees, Shrubs and Conifers forum, titled Oxydendrum arboreum seed germination help needed. Sourwood thrive along road cuts, often sprouting from stumps left behind. Sourwood Trees have a reputation of being very difficult to grow in domestication. He founded and runs Urban Loggers, LLC, a company offering residential tree services in the Midwest and Connecticut. The bark develops deep furrows and scaly patterns like the alligator hide-type bark of black tupelo trees. Excellent fall color. "Sourwood" isn't exactly a household name, but if more people knew about this exquisite ornamental tree's charms, it would be as warmly embraced as Flowering Dogwoods and Japanese Maples. By clicking Accept All Cookies, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts. To propagate a sourwood tree from seed, you need a seedling tray filled with a moist potting medium. The sourwood tree is very rarely noticeable if it is not in bloom. In the early summer, the Sourwood blooms white fragrant flowers. In autumn, sourwood leaves develop colorful fall foliage in vibrant shades of crimson red to burgundy and purple. Leaf spots can discolor some leaves but are not serious other than causing premature defoliation. Choose the sunniest part of your garden and ensure that the soil is loamy and well-draining. This plant does not like to be transplanted so only do so with young plants. Fall webworm can defoliate portions of the tree in summer and fall but usually control is not needed. Lastly, add a 2 to 3 (5 7.5 cm) layer of organic mulch to help keep the soil moist and control weeds. The dark, thick, furrowed bark is a major winter asset. The sour-tasting leaves have short petioles and grow alternately on the trees stems. The ideal soil is moist and rich in organic content. N-318 Ag Sciences Center University of Kentucky Lexington, KY 40546-0091, Fax (Lexington): 859-257-2859 (Princeton): 270-365-2667. RM 2M871R1 - Close up of red fall foliage and flowers of a sourwood or sorrel tree Oxydendron arboreum in Vancouver, BC, Canada. Sourwood is important as a source of honey in some areas and sourwood honey is marketed locally. Sourwood grows slowly to its mature, 25- to 50-foot height and 12- to 20-foot spread. Read our Commitment to Diversity | Read our Privacy Statement. Attributes This tree: Blooms from June to early July, with fragrant white flowers on drooping stalks that look very similar to lilies-of-the-valley. The attractive features of a sourwood tree are its pretty urn-shaped white flower clusters (panicles), stunning foliage that turns shades of crimson-red to reddish-purple color in the fall, and attractive red-brown bark. It helps to amend the soil with compost to increase acidity and add sand or gravel to improve drainage. The flowers themselves have a slight fragrance and are 1/4" long. Culture: Sun to part shade. Native Americans utilized sourwood branches for arrow shafts. Also called the sorrel tree, a unique feature of the sourwood tree is that its the only species in the Oxydendrum genus. Webworm and caterpillar activity can result in tree defoliation. Profile Video: See this plant in the following landscape: Cultivars / Varieties: 'Chameleon' Colorful fall foliage display. Reports show that using stem cuttings to propagate a sourwood rarely succeeds. Young sourwood trees with green and red leaves. It has a slow growth rate and no serious pest or disease problems. This tree is planted in groves for honey production; sourwood honey is delicious. And the honey made from the flowers of the sourwood tree is prized by beekeepers and is often sold at a higher price. Family The Sourwood Tree is a member of the Heath family of which there are 70 Genera and 1800 species distributed through the temperate portions of the planet. If someone has sourwood trees on their farm, they are fortunate. As far as diseases, twig blight kills leaves at the branch tips. A type of brown beetle (Oncideres cingulata) feeds on new bark, killing twigs. List of pests, diseases and tolerances: There aren't any serious insect or disease problems. Although they will tolerate partial shade, youll get less flowers and the fall color will not be as bright. The sweet nectar . Enter keywords to search on the arboretum map. Let your sourwood establish for a year before fertilizing. Store in a . Shop products from small business brands sold in Amazon's store. The best care you can give it is knowing what it likes and doesn't like. Growing in the upland forests of the southeastern United States, it is most abundant in the Alleghenies and the Blue Ridge mountains. I'm in the earliest stages of planning a house. FREE delivery Jan 25 - 31 . Sourwood is a pyramidal to oval tree that grows 25 to 30 feet high and 20 to 25 feet wide. Keep the fertilizer at least 1 foot away from a young trees trunk; expand the clear zone to 1 1/2 feet for an older sourwood. Space sourwood 15 to 20 feet apart; the tree grows 25 to 35 feet tall and 15 to 20 feet wide. Sourwoods are notorious for bad transplanting, so it's vital that you adequately water the newly planted tree. The leaves are dark, lustrous green and appear to weep or hang from the twigs while branches droop toward the ground. Bark is gray-brown and deeply ridged with the ridges often divided into a somewhat square pattern. Choose a location with well-draining, slightly acidic soil to plant a sourwood tree. One of the things that make the sourwood so appealing is the real lack of care that needs to be done to maintain this beautiful ornamental tree. Sourwood's shallow root system resents competition from nearby grass or plants. Leaf spots can discolor some leaves but are not serious other than causing premature defoliation. A million members, donors, and partners support our programs to make our world greener and healthier. It prefers full sun to part shade. Fruits on sourwood trees are small oval, egg-shaped capsules with a yellowish or greenish color that mature to grayish-brown color. Sourwood can be grown in Zones 5 (perhaps 4) to 9. Honeybees pollinate the flowers and feed on the sweet nectar. Similarly, the hickory horned devil caterpillar can attack sourwood leaves in late spring. The sourwood (often called sorrel) is a pretty little ornamental tree that is perfect for smaller spaces. Its slow growth rate is appealing as this allows the wood to become nice and strong while staying manageable and making care relatively easy, and the best news is there are no serious pest or disease problems. A member of the heath family, Oxydendrum arboreum is primarily a hill country tree that has a range from Pennsylvania to the Gulf Coastal Plain. Fall foliage is red to reddish-purple. Sourwood flowers are very attractive to bees, and sourwood honey is common in the South. We offer 3 days to report any problems with your order. Blooms from June to early July, with fragrant white flowers on drooping stalks that look very similar to lilies-of-the-valley. sourwood, sorrel tree, lily-of-the-valley tree. Caterpillar damage usually results in leaf loss. The best way to water the tree is to apply a trickle of water over several hours to irrigate the roots thoroughly. Irrigation is required during hot, dry weather to keep leaves on the tree. Small Business. In the wild, its bark often looks blocky like that of persimmon. The leaves provide a tangy, tart flavor to stews when cooked. The tree grows slowly, adapts to sun or shade, and prefers a slightly acid, peaty loam. Sourwood trees are relatively small, slow-growing, and reach 20 to 30 ft. (6 10 m) tall and wide. White fragrant flowers in early summer. Its honey, which has a medium to light color with heavy body, is slow to granulate. Sourwood trees are co-sexual (both male and female parts within each flower) with very noticeable and unique flowering structures. Branching patterns and persistent fruit give the tree an interesting look in the winter. The sourwood trees that honey bees will harvest on average grow between 33 to 66 ft tall. Sourwood's bark is grayish brown tinged with red, and deeply furrowed with scaly ridges. Again, its native habit will inform you greatly to its preferred environment. Planting sourwood next to black gum (Nyssa sylvatica) makes for a great fall color combination. Diseases Twig blight kills leaves at the branch tips. Dig a hole twice as wide as the tree's root ball, ease the tree from its nursery pot, untangle its roots and center it in the hole. Sourwood sprouts often interfere with the establishment of more desirable species in second . . Sourwood Tree Seedling gets its name from its sour-tasting leaves. But the best known by-product of the Sourwood tree is the hard-to-find and extremely delicious honey that bees produce from the fragrant blossoms. Sourwood Tree Fertilization Sourwood trees can benefit from fertilization once a year in late fall. Trees in poor health seem to be more susceptible. The tree produces 5-valved capsules borne on panicles that mature in the fall and release the very tiny, 2-winged seeds. Another name for the sourwood tree is the lily of the valley treethis is because the bell-shaped flowers look like those of lily of the valley plant (Convallaria majalis). Shape the young tree to establish a single, strong trunk with five to eight evenly spaced branches beginning 5 feet from the ground. Locate the tree away from other plants, where its showy characteristics get the attention they deserve. In its native habitat Sourwood can grow up to 60' x 100'. Mountain climbers often use the leaves from sourwood trees to chew on their way or make tea out of it as a thirst quencher. Learn how The Morton Arboretum is ensuring the future of trees through leading-edge science and conservation. For questions about home gardening, landscaping or commercial horticulture production, please contact your county extension agent. It is reportedly sensitive to air pollution. Two long-horned beetle species, twig girdlers (Oncideres cingulata) and dogwood stem borers (Oberea tripunctata) chew their way around sourwood's stems and deposit their eggs in the crevices. The Sourwood tree, also called the Oxydendrum arboreum in scientific terminology, is an aboriginal plant of North America. The trunk of a sourwood tree is straight and slender, the bark fissured and gray, and the crown narrow. Flowers are fragrant and bloom poorly in the shade. Its said that sourwood leaves taste like sour apples. Additionally, the tree produces small urn-shaped flowers that look like lily-of-the-valley flowers. You can find them growing in oak-heath forests, near riverbanks, and along roadsides. In time, the flowers produce dry seed capsules that ripen in autumn. How to Propagate Sourwood Tree Les Engles achieved Master Gardener through theCamden County Extension of the Rutgers Master Gardeners Program. If you are thinking of planting sourwood trees, you'll want to learn more sourwood tree information. It produces small, persistent, tan, dry capsules. form a strategic partnership called N.C. The juice from these flowers is usually used to make sourwood jelly. Trees in poor health seem to be more susceptible. Taking Care Of Sourwood Tree Bright sunlight is a must for sourwood trees. Sourwood makes an excellent specimen tree, and can also be used in shrub borders with Rhododendron, Pieris and Leucothoe. The Arboretum offers something for everyone in an unforgettable, tree-filled setting. Their shape is reminiscent of lily-of-the-valley. Sourwood usually grows as a pyramid or narrow oval with a more or less straight trunk at a height of 25 to 35 feet but can reach 50 to 60 feet tall with a spread of 25 to 30 feet. Their trunk will grow as large as 50 cm in diameter. The best way to propagate sourwood trees is by collecting seeds, but even then, the seeds can be difficult to germinate. While not incredibly high in nutrients, this organic material makes a great soil amendment that the sourwood thrives in naturally. Juice from its blooms is used to make sourwood jelly. The bell-shaped, 1/4- to 1/3-inch white flowers crowd into panicles up to 10 inches long which dangle from the tips of drooping branches in midsummer. Twigs are seemingly terminated by a leaf and bud, but bud is axillary and minute stem growth is adjacent. Sourwood trees require minimal pruning when established. Sourwood Honey is one of the most sought after honeys in the world. This virtually eliminates damping off as a problem. Sourwood (Oxydendrum arboreum). Instead, you can collect the seeds from the brown seed capsules and start to germinate them in January. Prevent the problem with weekly watering during dry spells when its actively growing. The trees that make most nectars grow in north Georgia and western North Carolina. If you are thinking of planting sourwood trees, youll want to learn more sourwood tree information. For general undergraduate student information, contact Dr. Rick Durham at (859) 257-3249, or rdurham@uky.edu. He describes himself as a "tree-hugging dirt worshipper" who is a member of multiple gardening societies and foundations.