Oxydendrum arboreum - Sourwood

Sourwood
Oxydendrum arboreum

WNC Native. Delightful small deciduous trees with glossy, dark green foliage that turns to spectacularly vibrant reds and golden oranges in autumn. Sprays of fragrant, tiny white flowers appear like lace, in late summer and fall. Outstanding trees for pollinators and beekeepers for making prized sourwood honey. Excellent specimen, with a pyramdial form, featuring a slender trunk, and graceful branches. Showstopping in autumn when massed.

They thrive in organically rich, moist, well-draining soil. While they can tolerate partial shade, they will have the most blooms and best fall color when grown in full sun (6-8 hours of direct sunlight).

Perfect for Butterfly Gardens, Children's Gardens, Cottage Gardens, Native Gardens, Moon Gardens, Pollinator Gardens, Rain Gardens, and more!

🌳Recommended trees: Sourwood trees are included in the The City of Asheville's Recommended Species List (2022).

🏆Award winning! 2004 Plant of the Year from the Georgia Native Plant Society, 2022  Plant of Merit from the Missouri Botanical Garden.

🐝Support the bees and enjoy delicious honey! Sourwood trees are prized among beekeepers - the honey made from these trees is exceptionally delicious and highly sought after.

🦋Butterflies and Moths: While the bees steal the show on Sourwoods, they also help other insects. In NC, these trees host at least 29 different species of moths, and are nectar sources for 2 species butterflies.

🐦Help birds: According to the Audubon Society, Sourwood trees can help and attract Cardinals, Chickadees, Jays, Mockingbirds, Nuthatches, Blackbirds, New World Sparrows, Thrushes, Vireos, Waxwings, Wood Warblers, Wrens, and more to the garden.

🦌Deer resistant: Deer tend to avoid these trees, as the foliage is a bit sour.

25’T x 15’W.

Zones 5-7, cold hardy down to -20F.

💚Plant Nerd: Sourwoods are in the Ericacious (Blueberry, Rhododendron) family and have shallow roots, that need both moisture and high levels of oxygen. Try to avoid driving over or even walking over the roots, if possible. They also struggle with being repeatedly transplanted - upon removing them from their containers, it is best to plant them where you really want them - the first time around.

They are the sole plants in their genus, Oxydendrum. Like other members of the Ericacious family they are adapted to highly acidic conditions, and love moist, well-draining soils. Keep them watered during periods of drought.

The largest known Sourwood is in Amelia county, Virginia. It is 74'T, with a trunk circumference of 130", a crown spread 47' across, and thought to be roughly 200 years old, with many more years left to live. 

These trees have many common names, including Lily of the Valley trees, named for the pretty flowers that resemble Lily of the Valley flowers. However, there is no close relationship there, as Lily of the Valley plants are in the Asparagus family.

Sourwoods get their common name from their sour-tasting foliage, due to the high amounts of oxalic acid they contain - a natural strategy to ward off plant-devouring herbivores. At one point, these plant were used for a variety of medicinal purposes.