Sourwood can be grown in Zones 5 (perhaps 4) to 9. It should be transplanted as a young, balled-and-burlapped or container-grown plant. The Sourwood Tree is a slow grower with an upright oval crown that is 25-30 feet high and 20 feet wide. Read on to learn about the planting and care of sourwood trees. In time, the flowers produce dry seed capsules that ripen in autumn. In its native habitat Sourwood can grow up to 60' x 100'. It has a few pest or disease problems such as webworm and twig blight, but is easily treated. The trees typically grow 25 feet (7.6 m.) tall in your backyard, but can shoot up to 60 feet (18 m.) tall in the wild. If you are considering planting sourwood trees, you’ll be glad to learn that the foliage produces excellent fall color, consistently turning a bright crimson. Sourwood has no serious pest problems. If left on their own, sourwood can develop poor architecture and become aesthetically less pleasing. N-318 Ag Sciences Center University of Kentucky Lexington, KY 40546-0091, Fax (Lexington): 859-257-2859       (Princeton): 270-365-2667, For questions about home gardening, landscaping or commercial horticulture production, please contact your county extension agent. Sourwood flowers are very attractive to bees, and sourwood honey is common in the South. This plant (named for the sour taste of its leaves) forms a pyramidal tree to 30 feet tall, with canoe-shaped, glossy leaves that turn vivid maroon, yellow, or purple in autumn. Find more gardening information on Gardening Know How: Keep up to date with all that's happening in and around the garden. The centerpiece was a young tree with long, pendulous seed capsules hanging delicately from its branches. Sourwood tree facts tell you that the scientific name is Oxydendrum arboretum. The scientific name for sourwood comes from the Greek words oxys (acid) and dendron (tree) and refers to the sour taste of its leaves. The Sourwood tree, also called the Oxydendrum arboreum in scientific terminology, is an aboriginal plant of North America. Water them during dry weather, even after they mature, since they are intolerant of drought. I am in RI and above their natural habitat but they are doing great except for the base of the tree being full. Sourwood (Oxydendrum arboreum) grows in the upland forests of the southeastern United States.Also known as sorrel-tree or lily-of-the-valley-tree, its flowers are an important source of honey in some areas but it is of little value as a timber species. “Sourwood” isn’t exactly a household name, but if more people knew about this exquisite ornamental tree’s charms, it would be as warmly embraced as Flowering Dogwoods and Japanese Maples. Sourwood, the lone species of the genus, is found in woodlands and along streams of eastern North America. Sign up for our newsletter. However pruning the tree properly when it is young will ensure it develops good form and structure. For undergraduate student information regarding the Sustainable Agriculture program, contact Dr. Krista Jacobsen at (859) 257-3921, or krista.jacobsen@uky.edu. Click here, then click on your county either on the map or from the list of counties below it. Sourwood tree growth is fairly rapid. They hang on the tree after leaf drop and lend ornamental winter interest. Older trees will display blocky bark that add interest to a winter landscape. Sourwood's bark is grayish brown tinged with red, and deeply furrowed with scaly ridges. For graduate student information, contact Dr. Doug Archbold at 859-257-3352, or darchbol@uky.edu, Sourwood - Oxydendrum arboreumHeath Family (Ericaceae). It is 118 feet tall with a 2-foot trunk. To take care of sourwood trees, don’t stint on water. Prevent the problem with weekly watering during dry spells when it’s actively growing. They are about 20 ft. high. Origin: US native - Virginia, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Kentucky, Tennessee – grows along stream banks. Some decorative coasters have also been created using sourwood trees. This site was last updated on December 18, 2020. A young sourwood tree may begin to flower when it is only 3 to 4 feet tall. Leaf spot diseases weaken trees and shrubs by interrupting photosynthesis. Sourwood or the sorrel tree is a beautiful tree with glossy foliage that soothes the eye and delivers a feel of eminent tranquility. It's profoundly furrowed and scaly in texture. I think they would look better trimmed. The tree grows slowly and only needs minor pruning attention. Common: Sourwood Tree, Lily-of-the-Valley Tree or Sorrel Tree. Size: City trees are usually about 25-30' at maturity. Finely-Toothed and glossy quote about sourwood: `` trees grow best in moist, well-drained acidic soils full. Produce nectar at very specific conditions four years in a row trees, ’... 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