Photo: Krzysztof Ziarnek, Kenraiz, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons
Sourwood
Oxydendrum arboreum
Also called sorrel tree, lily-of-the-valley tree.
Lily-of-the-valley flowers in July, the famous sourwood honey, and fall color that rivals any maple.
Showy flowersHoney treeFall color
- Type
- Medium tree
- Mature height
- 25–50 ft
- USDA zones
- 5–9
- Growth rate
- Slow
- Sun
- Full · Part
- Soil moisture
- Average
210
Sourwood is a slender Appalachian tree with drooping sprays of white summer flowers, glossy leaves that turn crimson early, and a honey so prized that jars sell out at mountain markets. It insists on acid, well-drained soil and dislikes compaction and salt, so plant it in a bed, not a lawn strip. Slow-growing and long-lived.
Heights and zones are typical ranges for the species in cultivation; local conditions and seed source shift them. Estimate growth for this species →
More like this
