Sourwood
Oxydendrum arboreum
White urn-shaped flowers in July that beekeepers prize, then deep red-to-burgundy October color. A narrow four-season tree for smaller lots.
Typically 1 quart–3 gal · $17–$85 · final price at pickup
- Thu, Aug 138 AM – 4 PM
- Fri, Aug 148 AM – 4 PM
- Sat, Aug 158 AM – 2 PM
Late-summer flowers that produce legendary honey, followed by the richest red fall color of any Appalachian understory tree. sourwood does two things better than anything else.
Sourwood earns a full season of attention. Drooping clusters of white urn-shaped flowers open in July, one of the latest-blooming native trees, and the fragrance draws bees at a time when nectar sources are thinning. Sourwood honey is among the most prized in the eastern United States, sought by beekeepers specifically for the tree's late-season bloom. Then October arrives and the leaves turn deep red-to-burgundy in one of the most saturated fall color displays of any Appalachian understory tree. Narrow, pyramidal form makes it appropriate for smaller residential lots and as a canopy understory tree under taller species. The persistent dried seed clusters add textural interest through winter. Give it acidic soil and some room to develop its characteristic weeping, layered branching, and sourwood becomes one of the finest four-season trees in the eastern native palette.
A nursery-grown plant, ready for the ground.
Healthy, container-grown sourwood propagated on-site at Hill House from regional genetics. Includes a one-page care card. We make every effort to supply plants as listed; occasionally we substitute a similar species of equal value.
- Sun
- Full sun
- Water
- Average
- Mature size
- 20–30 ft · 10–15 ft wide
- Bloom time
- July
- Bloom color
- White
- USDA zones
- 5–9
- Family
- Ericaceae
- Native range
- Eastern United States
Care notes for sourwood.
Full sun to part shade, moist well-drained acidic soil. Does not tolerate alkaline conditions or drought well. Water during dry spells. Prune minimally. the natural weeping form is the appeal. Mulch to maintain soil moisture and acidity. Slow-growing; be patient through establishment.
Pairs well with these.
Same light, same soil, same wildlife. Janet's picks to plant alongside sourwood.
Or skip the guesswork.
Curated packages bundle complementary species for an instant habitat. One reservation, one pickup day, a printed layout map.
Short on Space Package
For gardeners who have an abundance of passion but are short on space, this package features tidy, upright, clump-forming natives that behave and function well in small spaces.
Shade Bed Package
Ferns, sedges, and woodland natives that thrive under existing trees.
Birder’s Paradise Package
For the avid bird watchers and budding ornithologists in our community, the Birder’s Paradise Package consists of species that Hill House Nursery staff and longtime native plant advocates such as Doug Tallamy consider ‘premier bird garden plants’.