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. Birch Trees: Types, Leaves, Bark - Identification (With Images), Types of Trees With Thorns (Pictures and Names) - Identification Guide, White Oak Tree: Leaves, Bark, Fruit (Acorn) (Picture) Identification, Tree Fertilizers: When and How (Including The Best Tree Fertilizers), Sourwood Tree (Oxydendrum arboreum): Leaves, Bark, Flowers Identification Guide (With Pictures), panicles of creamy-white, urn-shaped flowers, Small or Dwarf Weeping Trees for Landscaping, Small Trees for Landscaping Compact Spaces. Sourwood | Bates Canopy | Bates College Passionate for travel and the well-written word, Judy Wolfe is a professional writer with a Bachelor of Arts in English literature from Cal Poly Pomona and a certificate in advanced floral design. Branching patterns and persistent fruit give the tree an interesting look in the winter. (sourwood), bark. Sourwood is a pyramidal to oval tree that grows 25 to 30 feet high and 20 to 25 feet wide. Reportedly not highly drought-tolerant, but there are beautiful specimens in USDA hardiness zone 7 growing in the open sun in poor clay with no irrigation. sourwood, sorrel tree, lily-of-the-valley tree. How to Grow Sourwood - Oxydendrum - Garden Chronicle by Ann Farnham, LLA The tree favored this month by the Ewing Environmental Commission is Sourwood, Oxydendrum arboretum, one of America's most beautiful native trees. Why You Want to Plant a Sourwood Tree The common name derives from the sour taste of the leaves, which are finely toothed and glossy. A type of brown beetle (Oncideres cingulata) feeds on new bark, killing twigs. Several fungal diseases can affect the growth of a sourwood tree. Join in The Morton Arboretum's mission to plant and protect trees for a greener, healthier, and more beautiful world. He describes himself as a "tree-hugging dirt worshipper" who is a member of multiple gardening societies and foundations. The dense, glossy green foliage appears in spring, and the branches have a somewhat weeping or drooping habit. Full sun (6 hrs direct light daily), Partial sun / shade (4-6 hrs light daily), Zone 5 (Northern Illinois), Zone 6 (City of Chicago), Zone 7, Zone 8, early summer, midsummer, early fall, mid fall, Oxydendrum arboreum (L.) DC. Grow it as a specimen, with a layer of mulch protecting its root zone from volunteering competitors. Sourwood grows slowly to its mature, 25- to 50-foot height and 12- to 20-foot spread. To get rid of webworms, you can cut the webs open to expose the larvae to birds that feed on them. The Sourwood Tree (Oxydendrum arboreum) also know as the sorrel tree, is a deciduous understory tree that is native to the eastern United States. Sourwood can be grown in Zones 5 (perhaps 4) to 9. This slowly spreading fungal infection can cause die-back where new growth doesnt appear or leaves wilt suddenly. Sourwood is not too site-demanding and has very few insect or disease problems, making it a low maintenance landscape plant. The sourwood tree is an ornamental deciduous small tree famous for its white flowers, lanceolate leaves, gray-brown patterned bark, and red fall leaves. Digital photograph. Sourwood honey also has antibacterial properties. Slow growth rate to 30 feet (9 m) in cultivation, greater in the wild. Sourwood Tree Fertilization Sourwood trees can benefit from fertilization once a year in late fall. They won't put up a fuss like an alien species can. Sourwood Honey ~ Pure, Raw, Delicious. Full sun to partial shade. The normal standard of watering weekly for the first two seasons applies, at a rate of two to three gallons a week per trunk diameter measured by caliper at chest height. Sign up for our newsletter. Sourwoods are not drought-tolerant plants and require plenty of moisture during the growing seasons. long and look a little like peach leaves. This specimen is located at a residence Trees grow best in moist, well-drained acidic soils in full sun to light shade. Sourwood Tree Facts: Learn About The Care Of Sourwood Trees By Teo Spengler Sourwood trees offer delight in every season. It makes an excellent specimen or focus of the center of a garden surrounded by native perennials. Its said that sourwood leaves taste like sour apples. Sourwood Tree Seedlings. Buy Online | Low Prices . The best way to propagate sourwood trees is by collecting seeds, but even then, the seeds can be difficult to germinate. This article is a comprehensive guide to growing a sourwood landscape tree in your front or backyard. Keep the fertilizer at least 1 foot away from a young trees trunk; expand the clear zone to 1 1/2 feet for an older sourwood. Fall foliage is red to reddish-purple. The bell-shaped, 1/4- to 1/3-inch white flowers crowd into panicles up to 10 inches long which dangle from the tips of drooping branches in midsummer. If there are issues with low bloom production, you might consider testing your soil for deficiencies, but until the tree is mature enough to set blooms, time and patience are your best friend. The bark is red-brown with deep vertical furrows that separate flat, pointed ridges. The tree grows slowly, adapts to sun or shade, and prefers a slightly acid, peaty loam. Those panicles age into sweeping sprays of 1/3-inch oval, greenish-brown seed capsules which turn a silvery gray by . Irrigation is required during hot, dry weather to keep leaves on the tree. Features of Sourwood Tree A well developed Sourwood tree is capable of attaining a height, ranging from 25 feet to 30 feet (7.6 to 9.1 cm), with widespread branches that have a maximum spread of 20 feet (6 cm). Fall webworm can defoliate portions of the tree in summer and fall but usually control is not needed. Small sourwood trees are usually planted as specimen trees to provide multi-season interest. Honeybees pollinate the flowers and feed on the sweet nectar. Keep the soil evenly moist. Is sourwood hard to grow? Blooms are effective for 3 to 4 weeks. Family The Sourwood Tree is a member of the Heath family of which there are 70 Genera and 1800 species distributed through the temperate portions of the planet. Then sprinkle the fine seeds over the soil, mist with water, and cover with plastic. Its interesting to read up on sourwood tree facts. Shop products from small business brands sold in Amazon's store. It is a small to medium-sized deciduous tree that grows to be 20-30 feet tall. The tree produces 5-valved capsules borne on panicles that mature in the fall and release the very tiny, 2-winged seeds. One of the things that make the sourwood so appealing is the real lack of care that needs to be done to maintain this beautiful ornamental tree. They have a sour taste, hence the common name. Sourwoods are not drought-tolerant plants and require plenty of moisture during the growing seasons. You can find them growing in oak-heath forests, near riverbanks, and along roadsides. Sourwood | The Morton Arboretum Twig borers lay eggs in the trees stems, and when the larvae hatch, they feed on new tissue growth inside the branches. Sourwood trees are easy to identify in the fall due to their brilliant colors. Sourwood (Oxydendrum arboreum). Space sourwood 15 to 20 feet apart; the tree grows 25 to 35 feet tall and 15 to 20 feet wide. List of pests, diseases and tolerances: There aren't any serious insect or disease problems. Sourwood Tree on the Tree Guide at arborday.org - Arbor Day Foundation Choose the sunniest part of your garden and ensure that the soil is loamy and well-draining. Oxydendrum arboreum (L - USDA Terminal inflorescences resemble the elongated, bony fingers of a witch. Honey made by bees from its flowers is highly prized and . Sourwood Tree Seedling gets its name from its sour-tasting leaves. Sourwood Tree: Leaves, Bark, Flowers (With Pictures) - Identification Second, the trees dont perform well in compact soil or cope with drought. Spread the fertilizer in a circle, beginning at the outer two-thirds of the branch spread. 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. The botanical equivalent of operatic divas, sourwood trees (Oxydendrum arboreum) compensate for their temperamental quirks with four-season performance. Keep the seedling tray in a warm place and under a fluorescent lamp for 24 hours a day. And the honey made from the flowers of the sourwood tree is prized by beekeepers and is often sold at a higher price. Choose a location with well-draining, slightly acidic soil to plant a sourwood tree. Steve Nix is a member of the Society of American Foresters and a former forest resources analyst for the state of Alabama. Taking Care Of Sourwood Tree Bright sunlight is a must for sourwood trees. Sourwood Tree Seedlings or better known as Oxydendron Arboretum. . 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. Origin: US native - Virginia, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Kentucky, Tennessee - grows along stream banks. Mix peat, composted pine bark or other organic material into the removed soil and begin refilling the hole, stopping halfway to water the roots and let the tree settle. Honey made from the nectar of these flowers is highly prized for its color and flavor. This type of natural fertilizer helps increase the soils acidic content, which is what sourwood trees prefer. It prefers full sun to part shade. It is the only guaranteed way that I have found of beating . It might hang over the front corner/porch a bit, leaning as even healthy sourwoods do. Flowers are fragrant and bloom poorly in the shade. Just like the leaves, these flowers also have a fresh, acidic taste. 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. Let your sourwood establish for a year before fertilizing.