An Equal Opportunity University. Discover more about the small businesses partnering with Amazon and Amazon's . The Arboretum offers something for everyone in an unforgettable, tree-filled setting. The Sourwood tree (Oxydendrum arboreum) is also known as the lily of the valley because of its beautiful flowers. The common name derives from the sour taste of the leaves, which are finely toothed and glossy. Small creamy white or red lesions on branches could be a sign of nectria canker (Nectria galligena). The problem is we're rarely given a choice, as most nurseries . Despite its grace and beauty, sourwood trees are notorious for being difficult to establish in landscapes. The best way to water the tree is to apply a trickle of water over several hours to irrigate the roots thoroughly. It can be difficult to grow in northern Illinois because it requires acidic soil. There are few sights that are as striking as a row of Sourwood in fall color. Locate the tree away from other plants, where its showy characteristics get the attention they deserve. It will have a slight fall off in fall color and blossoms as a result of not receiving full sun but will still be stunning. Similarly, the edible white sourwood flowers have a fresh, acidic taste. Fertilizing before maturity will create more work for you and weaker wood on the branches. Sourwood Honey is one of the most sought after honeys in the world. Come discover lush, green landscapes, and find respite and inspiration in the shade of towering trees. WARNING: Some websites to which these materials provide links for the convenience of users are not managed by the University of Kentucky. There are many interesting facts regarding the sourwood tree. Bees produce a rich and popular honey from the nectar. In the early summer, the Sourwood blooms white fragrant flowers. Depending on the fungal infection, cankers can form on the twigs or branches, or leaf spots can appear on the foliage. The mid- to late-summer flowers are borne in terminal clusters of racemes which curve upward, creating a graceful effect at flowering time. Let your sourwood establish for a year before fertilizing. Leaves contain oxalic acid and acidic to taste. Store in a . The sourwood tree is very rarely noticeable if it is not in bloom. They have a sour taste, hence the common name. Shop products from small business brands sold in Amazon's store. Send mail to cgcass0@uky.edu with questions about this site. 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. Diseases Twig blight kills leaves at the branch tips. Part of the issue is related to exacting cultural requirements. Sourwood Tree Facts: Learn About The Care Of Sourwood Trees By Teo Spengler Sourwood trees offer delight in every season. 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. Although moderately tolerant of salt, it doesnt perform well in drought or polluted environments. If you are thinking of planting sourwood trees, you'll want to learn more sourwood tree information. The dark, thick, furrowed bark is a major winter asset. On first-year shoots, the bark is often bright 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. Sourwood sprouts often interfere with the establishment of more desirable species in second . The nectar-laden flowers are also a source of honey. There are two issues to consider when using sourwood trees in the landscape. Sourwood tree flowers are a creamy white color and bell-shaped. Sign up to get all the latest gardening tips! The simple leaves have a conspicuous midrib and fine feather-like veining. The circle should extend beyond the drip line by one-half the distance between the trunk and the ends of the branches. Spread the fertilizer in a circle, beginning at the outer two-thirds of the branch spread. RF 2K10YG3 - A Sourwood tree (Oxydendrum arboreum) and its very red leaves is fronted by . Alternatively, you can cut the webs down and drop them in a bucket of soapy water to kill the caterpillars. After its leaves drop in fall, scatter a fertilizer for acid-loving plants on the soil. Prevent the problem with weekly watering during dry spells when its actively growing. This article is a comprehensive guide to growing a sourwood landscape tree in your front or backyard. They produce consistently excellent fall color, typically turning crimson red, but sometimes yellow and purple. It is best grown from small container-grown plants. Five-valved brownish dehiscent dry capsules , 1/3 to 1/2 inch long, that ripen to silver-gray in September and October. Cooperative Extension, which staffs local offices in all 100 counties and with the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians. Native sourwood trees are beautiful ornamental trees that provide visual interest in all seasons. Additionally, use nitrate-based fertilizer because ammonium ones will burn the roots. Getting rid of borers that infest a sourwood tree can be challenging. Although they will tolerate partial shade, youll get less flowers and the fall color will not be as bright. It has a slow growth rate, reaches a height of 25-30 feet, and can take 12-15 years to reach a height of just 15 feet. . Steve Nix is a member of the Society of American Foresters and a former forest resources analyst for the state of Alabama. The Arboretum has the expertise and advice to help you beautify your home landscape, improve your community, and advocate for trees. It is an early summer bloomer and gives fresh flower color after most flowering plants have faded. One of the most well-known products from the sourwood tree is the hard-to-find and incredibly delicious honey. 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. Sourwood - Oxydendrum arboreumHeath Family (Ericaceae). Sourwood is a tree for all seasons and is found in the forest understory, along roadsides and a pioneering tree in clearings. Second, the trees dont perform well in compact soil or cope with drought. 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. this difficulty can be overcome by studying the conditions under which it grows best. 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. It is intolerant of pollution and urban areas. Individual sourwood flowers are small, regular, symmetrically shaped, fragrant, and showy. Fall webworm can defoliate portions of the tree in summer and fall but usually control is not needed. The leaves are dark green in summer and change to red or a mix of red and orange in fall. Your support is vital to the Arboretum, where the power of trees makes a positive impact on peoples lives. Sourwood thrive along road cuts, often sprouting from stumps left behind. Only 1 terminal bud, smaller than side buds. The tree produces 5-valved capsules borne on panicles that mature in the fall and release the very tiny, 2-winged seeds. The forest floor is covered in fallen leaves, which break down into leaf mold; this is the fungal material of decomposing leaves. Mountain climbers often use the leaves from sourwood trees to chew on their way or make tea out of it as a thirst quencher. Sourwood Tree Seedlings or better known as Oxydendron Arboretum. (zones 5-9). The trees that make most nectars grow in north Georgia and western North Carolina. Leaves are rich green, turning yellow, red and purple in fall. Sourwood makes an excellent specimen tree, and can also be used in shrub borders with Rhododendron, Pieris and Leucothoe. The new growth that appears is a bronze color with large, dark-green leaves that turn orange and scarlet in color in the Fall. He founded and runs Urban Loggers, LLC, a company offering residential tree services in the Midwest and Connecticut. Leaf spots can discolor some leaves but are not serious other than causing premature defoliation. Size: City trees are usually about 25-30' at maturity. The Sourwood tree is renowned for its nectar, and for the honey which is produced from it. Space sourwood 15 to 20 feet apart; the tree grows 25 to 35 feet tall and 15 to 20 feet wide. Sourwood's shallow root system resents competition from nearby grass or plants. Resistant to fire. 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. Grow it as a specimen, with a layer of mulch protecting its root zone from volunteering competitors. The trees with their weeping branches and irregular pyramidal crown are ideal for lawns, shade gardens, or patios. The sourwood grows to a height of 2530' and a spread of around 20' at maturity. RM 2M871R1 - Close up of red fall foliage and flowers of a sourwood or sorrel tree Oxydendron arboreum in Vancouver, BC, Canada. During summer, long panicles of distinctive creamy-white bell-shaped fragrant flowers help to identify the tree. The sourwood tree is an ornamental deciduous small tree famous for its white flowers, lanceolate leaves, gray-brown patterned bark, and red fall leaves. Prefers full sun. The sourwood trees that honey bees will harvest on average grow between 33 to 66 ft tall. Trees grow best in moist, well-drained acidic soils in full sun to light shade. The amazing honey from sourwood blossoms has a spicy aroma, sweet caramel taste, and pleasant aftertaste. Another great tree that will fill out any landscape! Ewing is located in USDA Zone 6b. However, there seems to be agreement that the most difficult problems for sourwood arise because of its exacting cultural requirements as stated above. Choose the sunniest part of your garden and ensure that the soil is loamy and well-draining. Fragrant white blooms in July in elongated clusters. Also, the sweet aroma of the flowers attracts bees that feed on the sweet nectar. The name Sourwood is derived from the acrid taste of its leaves, but tea made from these leaves is widely used by mountain climbers as a thirst-quencher. It is 118 feet tall with a 2-foot trunk. Sourwood is a beautiful decorative tree suitable for growing in full sun to partial shade in residential garden landscapes. It is reportedly sensitive to air pollution injury. 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. It is native primarily to the southeastern United States and commonly found on well-drained upland slopes. Usually, its best to call in professionals to deal with the pest problem. Techniques have been described for sourwood seed collection, storage, and germination (2,5,14). The sourwood can be expected to grow in Hardiness Zones 59. Honey made from the nectar of these flowers is highly prized for its color and flavor. The sourwood is the only species in the genus Oxydendrum. Sourwood is an attractive tree with white flowers that bloom in early summer and excellent fall color. The main consideration is watering newly transplanted trees in order to get them to establish themselves. Blossoms bloom on sender panicles and have a faint fragrance. My Purple Plum Tree Looks Black Like Fungus: What Is This? Sycamore Diseases. Sourwood grows slowly, adapts to sun or shade, and prefers a slightly acid, peaty loam. Webworms create web nests on the ends of branches and come out to feed on the tender leaves. The Sourwood tree, also called the Oxydendrum arboreum in scientific terminology, is an aboriginal plant of North America. This plant does not like to be transplanted so only do so with young plants. The flowers are white and appear on the branches in summer. The f lowering Sourwood can be difficult to transplant and performs best when purchased as container grown plants. Its said that sourwood leaves taste like sour apples. Native geographic location and habitat: . A native tree of North America, the sourwood is one of the few endemic trees that is not found in other continents unless planted and has no related species. Sourwood is important as a source of honey in some areas and sourwood honey is marketed locally. The gourmet honey has a sweet buttery caramel flavor with a slightly peppery aftertaste. Lastly, add a 2 to 3 (5 7.5 cm) layer of organic mulch to help keep the soil moist and control weeds. As far as diseases, twig blight kills leaves at the branch tips. The Sourwood Tree has few disease or pest problems and it can be treated effortlessly for the ones it does come across.