Also, keep a 5-foot (1.5-meter) clearance beneath the canopy by removing limbs from the tree. effective for aging men having kidney and bladder problems. The name sourwood comes from the trees bitter yet edible foliage. Unlike most ornamental trees, the sourwood does not have many cultivars. Then its vital to prune the sourwood tree in early spring to encourage new growth and maintain its shape. The new growth that appears is a bronze color with large, dark-green leaves that turn orange and scarlet in color in the Fall. The bark is red-brown with deep vertical furrows that separate flat, pointed ridges. The flowers themselves have a slight fragrance and are 1/4" long. These flowers also provide the nectar for bees and the very tasty and sought out sourwood honey. If someone has sourwood trees on their farm, they are fortunate. Another great tree that will fill out any landscape! While not incredibly high in nutrients, this organic material makes a great soil amendment that the sourwood thrives in naturally. The fall color of sourwood is a striking red and orange and associated with blackgum and sassafras. Prepared by Mary P. Tucker for the Georgia Native Plant Society. Sourwood's wood is hard and has red-tinged brown heartwood and thick layers of pale sapwood. The leaves provide a tangy, tart flavor to stews when cooked. Plant in full sun to partial shade and dry or moist soil, but ensure it is well-drained. Steve Nix is a member of the Society of American Foresters and a former forest resources analyst for the state of Alabama. It is tolerant of shade and dry soils and moderately tolerant of salt. They produce consistently excellent fall color, typically turning crimson red, but sometimes yellow and purple. Sourwood makes an excellent specimen tree, and can also be used in shrub borders with Rhododendron, Pieris and Leucothoe. If you are thinking of planting sourwood trees, you'll want to learn more sourwood tree information. The Sourwood tree (Oxydendrum arboreum) is also known as the lily of the valley because of its beautiful flowers. Sourwood can be grown in Zones 5 (perhaps 4) to 9. They are low maintenance, adaptable, have no serious pest problems, is sun or shade tolerant and drought resistant once established. The fall color is a striking red and orange which is rivaled by only a few other trees such as Blackgum, Chinese Pistache, the pears, and Chinese Tallowtree. You can then dig your hole for planting a sourwood tree. Branches are narrow, elongate, decurved then swept upright, and persist after leaves. Sourwood Tree Seedlings produce white flowers during the Summer months. They are similar to lily of the valley flowers, providing an alternate common name. Prune out infected branch tips and fertilize. Prune sourwood in early spring before its new growth starts. The ideal soil is moist and rich in organic content. Natural hollows in these trees are refuge for climbing reptiles and amphibians, bats and other small wildlife. (sourwood), bark. Old fall webworm tents attract invertebrates that birds often eat during late fall and winter. This native tree grows throughout the Eastern United States from Florida, Louisiana, and North Carolina north to Pennsylvania. Sign up for our newsletter. Sourwood Tree (Oxydendrum arboreum) - 7 Gallon Pot Truly a tree with 4-season appeal, the Sourwood has lovely, lily-of-the-valley-like flowers and long-lasting fall foliage color that rivals the best of the hybrid red maples. Help trees thrive in the Chicago region and around the world. Sourwood is a beautiful decorative tree suitable for growing in full sun to partial shade in residential garden landscapes. Because sourwoods grow well in partial shade, they are excellent under-story trees. Techniques have been described for sourwood seed collection, storage, and germination (2,5,14). Honey made by bees from its flowers is highly prized and . It is native primarily to the southeastern United States and commonly found on well-drained upland slopes. The forest floor is covered in fallen leaves, which break down into leaf mold; this is the fungal material of decomposing leaves. Sourwood trees are bee magnets! Fall webworm can defoliate portions of the tree in summer and fall but usually control is not needed. Scientific name: Oxydendrum arboreumPronunciation: ock-sih-DEN-drum ar-BORE-ee-umCommon name(s): Sourwood, Sorrel-TreeFamily: EricaceaeUSDA hardiness zones: USDA hardiness zones: USDA hardiness zones: 5 through 9AOrigin: Native to North AmericaUses: recommended for buffer strips around parking lots or for median strip plantings in the highway; shade tree; specimen; no proven urban toleranceAvailability: somewhat available, may have to go out of the region to find the tree. Second, the trees dont perform well in compact soil or cope with drought. The trunk of a sourwood tree is straight and slender, the bark fissured and gray, and the crown narrow. If you are considering planting sourwood trees, youll be glad to learn that the foliage produces excellent fall color, consistently turning a bright crimson. They bloom during mid-summer. The Sourwood Tree (Oxydendrum arboreum) also know as the sorrel tree, is a deciduous understory tree that is native to the eastern United States. . . Sourwood tree fruit: immature (left) and mature (right). Sourwood is a tree for all seasons, rewarding you with year-round beauty, according to native plant enthusiast Helen Hamilton of Williamsburg. Sourwood tree can be identified by its flowers, leaves, and bark. It is an early summer bloomer and gives fresh flower color after most flowering plants have faded. Honey Jar Mock-Up - Male hands holding a honey jar on a gray. Sourwood trees near structures? Their larvae eat through and overwinter in the stem tissue. The dark, thick, furrowed bark is a major winter asset. Sourwood trees are relatively small, slow-growing, and reach 20 to 30 ft. (6 10 m) tall and wide. Birch Trees: Types, Leaves, Bark - Identification (With Images), Types of Trees With Thorns (Pictures and Names) - Identification Guide, White Oak Tree: Leaves, Bark, Fruit (Acorn) (Picture) Identification, Tree Fertilizers: When and How (Including The Best Tree Fertilizers), Sourwood Tree (Oxydendrum arboreum): Leaves, Bark, Flowers Identification Guide (With Pictures), panicles of creamy-white, urn-shaped flowers, Small or Dwarf Weeping Trees for Landscaping, Small Trees for Landscaping Compact Spaces. Prune out infected branch tips and fertilize. Leaves from the sourwood tree are identified as lance-shaped with pointed tips and measure 3 to 6 (7.5 15 cm) long and up to 3 (7.5 cm) wide. 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 flower panicles are long and slender and can curve upward, with the urn-shaped flowers dangling downward. However, it can do significant damage to your trees leaves. In summer, when most trees are done blooming, Sourwood will grace your yard with gorgeous lacy sprays of small, fragrant white flowers that resemble . A thread in the Trees, Shrubs and Conifers forum, titled Oxydendrum arboreum seed germination help needed. Webworm and caterpillar activity can result in tree defoliation. The trees characteristic growth habits are a slender trunk, narrow, irregular crown, and branches that droop slightly. Keeping the tree healthy and stress-free with proper siting, irrigation and feeding is the most effective deterrent for these pests. Small sourwood trees are usually planted as specimen trees to provide multi-season interest. The amber-colored sourwood honey also has an aroma of cinnamon and cloves. The sourwood (often called sorrel) is a pretty little ornamental tree that is perfect for smaller spaces. It might hang over the front corner/porch a bit, leaning as even healthy sourwoods do. Then sprinkle the fine seeds over the soil, mist with water, and cover with plastic. Possessing a light and exceptionally floral taste with notes of anise, spice, and gingerbread, sourwood honey is a premium product for most beekeepers. In addition, the leaves of the sourwood are said to have medicinal benefits, helping with: Fever reduction Dysentery Asthma Nausea Kidney and bladder problems Prune out infected branch tips and fertilize. Plant Clinic Manager. Sourwood has a deep and fibrous root system and has a reputation for being difficult to transplant or move. Plant damage by borers like the dogwood twig borers or azalea stem borers can cause new twigs to die off or leaves to curl downward. And the honey made from the flowers of the sourwood tree is prized by beekeepers and is often sold at a higher price. Unfortunately, this feeding habit causes new sprouts and stems to die back, resulting in poor growth. Common names: The leaves are dark green in summer and change to red or a mix of red and orange in fall. Sourwood's bark is grayish brown tinged with red, and deeply furrowed with scaly ridges. The juice from these flowers is usually used to make sourwood jelly. Enter keywords to search on the arboretum map. Full Sun or Shade for a Crimson Queen Maple. Fruits on sourwood trees are small oval, egg-shaped capsules with a yellowish or greenish color that mature to grayish-brown color. Culture: Sun to part shade. Yields an oval-shaped fruit that is under " in diameter. Sourwood Tree Seedlings for Planting | 1-2 Feet Tall Live Tree Plants - Stunning Red Leaves and White Flowers (2 Trees) $42.96 $ 42. Digital photograph. The flowers are white and appear on the branches in summer. Wood is heavy, hard, and closegrained, but is seldom used as a commercial wood. Lets look in more detail at caring for a sourwood tree. There arent any serious insect or disease problems. Fragrant white blooms in July in elongated clusters. In autumn, you can recognize the sourwood tree by the rows of brown fruit standing erect on curving stems. Grows to 25'-30', 20' spread. Sourwood has no serious pest problems. A million members, donors, and partners support our programs to make our world greener and healthier. Juice from its blooms is used to make sourwood jelly. The best way to water the tree is to apply a trickle of water over several hours to irrigate the roots thoroughly. They have a sour taste, hence the common name. During summer, long panicles of distinctive creamy-white bell-shaped fragrant flowers help to identify the tree. After the seedlings have developed two leaves, keep only the strongest ones and discard the rest. Find more gardening information on Gardening Know How: Keep up to date with all that's happening in and around the garden. Sourwood flowers are very attractive to bees, and sourwood honey is common in the South. Sourwood is not too site-demanding and has very few insect or disease problems, making it a low maintenance landscape plant. Native Americans utilized sourwood branches for arrow shafts. Buds are lateral or axillary, small (less than an inch in size), are conical-globose, and sessile. Sourwood is occasionally used as an ornamental because of its brilliant fall color and mid-summer flowers. The hairy capsules ripen in late fall and contain tiny seeds. Sourwood tree facts tell you that the scientific name is Oxydendrum arboretum. 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. An interesting feature of sourwood tree bark is that twigs and branches emerge bright red before turning gray. It goes by many other common or local names including sorrel tree, sorrel gum, sour gum, arrow wood, elk tree, lily-of-the-valley tree and titi tree. Similarly, the edible white sourwood flowers have a fresh, acidic taste. 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. This virtually eliminates damping off as a problem. This tree has a rounded top and branches that droop, making it appear graceful. The branching pattern and persistent fruit make the tree interesting in the winter. In addition, its attractive summer green and white colors and excellent fall colors create a focal point throughout the growing seasons. 6,649 views. The sourwood grows in acidic, loamy, moist, sandy, well-drained and clay soils. It is home primarily in the woodlands and along the water. Pruning should be done annually in the fall, and you will want to cut the branches to establish a narrow crown on a single slender leader. The tree has laurel-like alternate leaves that are finely toothed and sour to the taste. Sourwood has no serious pests or diseases. Sourwood tree flowers are a creamy white color and bell-shaped. Additionally, its helpful to remove any suckers or branches that grow near the trunks base. It produces small, persistent, tan, dry capsules. . Because of its famous honey, sourwood is also called the honey tree. It is 118 feet tall with a 2-foot trunk. This tree grows at a medium rate, with height increases of 1324" per year. Prevent the problem with weekly watering during dry spells when its actively growing. Then make sure that the location is in full sun for best results. It is perhaps most commonly found on rocky wooded slopes in the Appalachian Mountains, often growing in combination with other heath family members that share the same acidic soil preferences.