Their larvae eat through and overwinter in the stem tissue. They are also a laxative. Sourwood trees are bee magnets! A very ornamental plant, it will flower in 4 to 5 years after planting from seed. To grow Oxydendrum arboreum, keep the ground well-watered during dry spells. Sourwood Tree Seedlings for Planting | 1-2 Feet Tall Live Tree Plants - Stunning Red Leaves and White Flowers (2 Trees) $42.96 $ 42. . The juice from these flowers is usually used to make sourwood jelly. It is the ideal ornamental tree when it reaches maturity when it can bloom after about its fifth season. Webworms create web nests on the ends of branches and come out to feed on the tender leaves. Gardening For Bees In Nebraska And West North Central Region, Ornamental Grasses Ohio Valley Gardeners Should Grow, Problems With Butterfly Bushes: Common Butterfly Bush Pests And Diseases, Pears And Fire Blight: How To Treat Pear Tree Blight, Hardy Kiwi Diseases: How To Treat A Sick Kiwi Plant, Feeding Amaryllis Plants Learn How And When To Fertilize Amaryllis Bulbs, Home & Garden Marketplace: Advertiser Info. Similarly, the edible white sourwood flowers have a fresh, acidic taste. 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. 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. Sourwood requires an acidic soil that is moist and well-drained. Pioneers used the sap as one ingredient in a concoction used for treating fevers; the bark for chewing to soothe mouth pains; and leaf tea for treating diarrhea, indigestion and dysentery. First, the trees dont tolerate urban pollution and wont thrive in city environments. Culture: Sun to part shade. A type of brown beetle (Oncideres cingulata) feeds on new bark, killing twigs. Full sun is the ideal condition for this tree, meaning it should get at least six hours of direct, unfiltered sunlight each day. If you encounter issues loading this site, please refresh the page by using Ctrl + F5 if on Windows or Cmd + Shift + R if on Mac. The trees with their weeping branches and irregular pyramidal crown are ideal for lawns, shade gardens, or patios. The sourwood can be expected to grow in Hardiness Zones 59. Similarly, the hickory horned devil caterpillar can attack sourwood leaves in late spring. Scientific Name: Common Name: Scientific Name Pronounciation: Plant Type: Tree Plant Hardiness Zones: Plant Hardiness Zone (s): Usual Size: Flower: Bloom Time Notes: Leaf: Fruit: Wildlife: Natural Habitat: Propagation: Bloom Time: It might hang over the front corner/porch a bit, leaning as even healthy sourwoods do. Come discover lush, green landscapes, and find respite and inspiration in the shade of towering trees. last year. Find more gardening information on Gardening Know How: Keep up to date with all that's happening in and around the garden. Sourwood makes an excellent specimen tree, and can also be used in shrub borders with Rhododendron, Pieris and Leucothoe. For questions about home gardening, landscaping or commercial horticulture production, please contact your county extension agent. The white-shaped flowers get opened, and the tree is very easily recognized. . Browse 168 sourwood tree stock photos and images available, or start a new search to explore more stock photos and images. It wont perform well where other rapidly growing trees block the sun it loves. Sourwood Tree Seedling gets its name from its sour-tasting leaves. Prefers full sun. Sourwood grows well in confined soil spaces with good drainage making it a candidate for urban plantings but is largely untried as a street tree. Diseases Twig blight kills leaves at the branch tips. The nectar-laden flowers are also a source of honey. The leaves of the sourwood tree are oblong-shaped and have a leathery texture. Second, the trees dont perform well in compact soil or cope with drought. Depending on the fungal infection, cankers can form on the twigs or branches, or leaf spots can appear on the foliage. Sign up to get all the latest gardening tips! The amber-colored sourwood honey also has an aroma of cinnamon and cloves. List of pests, diseases and tolerances: There aren't any serious insect or disease problems. Sourwood has no serious pests or diseases. 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. There arent any serious insect or disease problems. FREE delivery Jan 25 - 31 . There is a second act to the Sourwood season, when, with the onset of cooler weather and shortening days it bursts forth into a breathtaking display of burgundy and red. 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. Small sourwood trees are usually planted as specimen trees to provide multi-season interest. Twigs are seemingly terminated by a leaf and bud, but bud is axillary and minute stem growth is adjacent. Plant in full sun to partial shade and dry or moist soil, but ensure it is well-drained. Most of the critical pruning for sourwoods is when the trees are relatively immature. Its place in the ecosystem as an understory tree really allows it to be the understated underdog while making a visual impression that will be sure to win your heart. We offer 3 days to report any problems with your order. form a strategic partnership called N.C. The growth rate is 2-3 feet each year. The fall color of sourwood is a striking red and orange and associated with blackgum and sassafras. By fall, brilliant red foliage covers the branches. Sourwood (Oxydendrum arboreum) grows in the upland forests of the southeastern United States. The trees typically grow 25 feet (8 m.) tall in your backyard but can shoot up to 60 feet (18 m.) tall in the wild. Additionally, the tree produces small urn-shaped flowers that look like lily-of-the-valley flowers. The ideal soil is moist and rich in organic content. To plant a sourwood tree, dig a hole twice as wide as the trees root ball and the same depth. . Then its vital to prune the sourwood tree in early spring to encourage new growth and maintain its shape. 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. Sourwood is not too site-demanding and has very few insect or disease problems, making it a low maintenance landscape plant. Provides great fall color, with leaves turning crimson, purplish-red and sometimes yellow in the fall. Tom Potterfield / Flickr / CC BY-NC-SA 2.0. Once the tree is established you can taper the supplemental watering off and let nature take over. To propagate a sourwood tree from seed, you need a seedling tray filled with a moist potting medium. If you are planting sourwood trees, youll do best to grow them in well-draining, slightly acidic soil. Even the straight species is difficult to find in the trade without looking for the plant in a specialty store. Green leaves in the summer in Moore County. 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. The Sourwood Tree has few disease or pest problems and it can be treated effortlessly for the ones it does come across. Only 1 terminal bud, smaller than side buds. In addition, its attractive summer green and white colors and excellent fall colors create a focal point throughout the growing seasons. An Equal Opportunity University. The dark, thick, furrowed bark is a major winter asset. The sourwood is the only species in the genus Oxydendrum. Sourwood is a beautiful decorative tree suitable for growing in full sun to partial shade in residential garden landscapes. NC State University and N.C. A&T State University work in tandem, along with federal, state and local governments, to Choose the sunniest part of your garden and ensure that the soil is loamy and well-draining. Silvery seed capsules continue well into winter, after the scarlet- and-orange autumn leaves drop. Cooperative Extension prohibits discrimination and harassment on the basis of race, color, national origin, age, sex (including pregnancy), disability, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity, and veteran status. University of Georgia Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources; Native Tree Series; Sourwood, GoLocalProv Lifestyle: The Best Tree You Can Plant This Spring, University of Tennessee Extension: Fertilizing Landscape Trees, University of Georgia College of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences: Pruning Ornamental Plants in the Landscapei, The most important gardening tools you didn't know you needed. For graduate student information, contact Dr. Mark Williams at (859) 257-1758, or mark.williams@uky.edu. The flowers are attractive to butterflies and other insects. This native tree grows throughout the Eastern United States from Florida, Louisiana, and North Carolina north to Pennsylvania. I'm also open to suggestion regarding other native trees that can tolerate a little shade and won't get much larger than the sourwood at maturity. The flowers themselves have a slight fragrance and are 1/4" long. You can find the sourwood from the coast of Virginia to North Carolina, over into Southern Ohio and Indiana, and down to Mississippi and Louisiana. The sourwood trees that honey bees will harvest on average grow between 33 to 66 ft tall. Moderately resistant to deer damage. Sourwood Common Problems. Size: City trees are usually about 25-30' at maturity. Sourwood - Oxydendrum arboreumHeath Family (Ericaceae). Blooms from June to early July, with fragrant white flowers on drooping stalks that look very similar to lilies-of-the-valley. Descriptions and pictures of sourwood flowers, leaves, and fruit will help you see where to plant this stunning specimen tree. Pests are usually not a problem for Sourwood. The trunk of a sourwood tree is straight and slender, the bark fissured and gray, and the crown narrow. The common name derives from the sour taste of the leaves, which are finely toothed and glossy. Sourwood trees near structures? The forest floor is covered in fallen leaves, which break down into leaf mold; this is the fungal material of decomposing leaves. Common Name: sourwood Type: Tree Family: Ericaceae Native Range: Eastern and southern United States Zone: 5 to 9 Height: 20.00 to 50.00 feet Spread: 10.00 to 25.00 feet Bloom Time: June to July Bloom Description: White Sun: Full sun to part shade Water: Medium Maintenance: Low Suggested Use: Flowering Tree Flower: Showy, Fragrant Leaf: Good Fall Sourwood tree's beautiful white flowers are also edible. It was used as a tonic, decoction, and even as a gum; medicinal uses include treating urinary problems, prostrate conditions, diarrhea, dysentery, and many other symptoms. Stems are slender, glabrous or sparingly pubescent, and do not go dormant in the winter. A study by Markus Glocker at the University of Vienna, Austria found that sourwood honey is effective against "the opportunistic pathogen Enterococcus hirae", which can cause infections in people with weakened immune systems. Irrigation is required during hot, dry weather to keep leaves on the tree. Light requirement: tree grows in part shade/part sun; tree grows in full sunSoil tolerances: clay; loam; sand; acidic; well-drainedDrought tolerance: moderateAerosol salt tolerance: moderate, Sourwood grows slowly, adapts to sun or shade, and prefers a slightly acid, peaty loam. Dappled Sunlight (Shade through upper canopy all day), Deep shade (Less than 2 hours to no direct sunlight), Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day), Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours). The Sourwood tree (Oxydendrum arboreum) is also known as the lily of the valley because of its beautiful flowers. While not incredibly high in nutrients, this organic material makes a great soil amendment that the sourwood thrives in naturally. Bees produce a rich and popular honey from the nectar. Sourwood was introduced into the landscape in 1747. Juice from its blooms is used to make sourwood jelly. Planting sourwood next to black gum (Nyssa sylvatica) makes for a great fall color combination. If you are thinking of planting sourwood trees, you'll want to learn more sourwood tree information. The main types of pests affecting a sourwood tree are borers, weevils, webworms, and caterpillars. Gray bark with reddish tinges helps to identify sourwood trees. Help trees thrive in the Chicago region and around the world. The leaves are dark green in summer and change to red or a mix of red and orange in fall. The bitter-tasting leaves are alternate, stalked, rather oblong, and 12-20 cm (5-8 inches) long. It would be best to trim off weak-looking branches to leave five to eight evenly spaced branches. In the wild, its bark often looks blocky like that of persimmon. A sourwood tree's leaves can be chewed to help quench thirst, made into tea, or added to salads, soups, or stews. Honey made by bees from its flowers is highly prized and . Grows to 25'-30', 20' spread. White fragrant flowers in early summer. Also, weevils (Conotrachelus anaglypticus) can damage new growth like buds, shoots, and leaves. Trees are slow growing and sensitive to air pollution, poor drainage, root disturbance, and soil compaction. It makes an excellent specimen or understory tree or planted in small groups in a woodland garden. Branches droop toward the ground forming a graceful outline when planted as a single specimen. Find more gardening information on Gardening Know How: Keep up to date with all that's happening in and around the garden. Leaves are rich green, turning yellow, red and purple in fall. Sourwood grows slowly to its mature, 25- to 50-foot height and 12- to 20-foot spread. Trees grow best in moist, well-drained acidic soils in full sun to light shade. You can also use a tree fertilizer with an NPK rating of 10-10-10. The tree transplants easily when young and from containers of any size. Sourwood is a tree for all seasons, rewarding you with year-round beauty, according to native plant enthusiast Helen Hamilton of Williamsburg. 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. Because of this, it is adaptable to various light conditions which makes it incredible versatile as invaluable in ornamental horticulture. Sourwood is occasionally used as an ornamental because of its brilliant fall color and mid-summer flowers. It is not snobby like some ornamentals which require fussing and tending. Also, remove limbs off the tree to keep a 5 ft. (1.5 m) space under the canopy. Once the seedlings appear, apply a diluted acidic fertilizer for seedlings every two weeks.