sourwood
Oxydendrum arboreum
MBG Plant of Merit 2022
USDA zones5 to 9
SunHandles full sun to full shade
WaterHandles dry to moist soil
Size20 to 30 feet tall20 to 30 feet wide
- Growth rate
- Slow
- Bloom season
- Spring, summer, autumn, winter
- Bloom color
- White
- Foliage color
- Green
- Soil types
- Sand, loam, clay
- Soil pH
- Acid
Garden uses
Attracts
Notes
Sourwood (Oxydendrum arboreum) is a tree for specimen planting, woodland gardens, and pollinator gardens. It is hardy to USDA zone 5, or down to -20°F (-29°C). This plant likes full sun to full shade and dry to moist, sandy, loamy, or clay soil. It is not a favorite of deer, though hungry deer will eat almost anything. Small white flowers hang in rows like lily-of-the-valley, and the glossy leaves turn deep red in fall.
Pairs well with Oakleaf hydrangea, Christmas fern, and Little bluestem.
Native range
AL, FL, GA, IL, and 14 more places. See all 18
AL, FL, GA, IL, IN, KY, LA, MD, MS, NC, NY, OH, PA, RI, SC, TN, VA, and WV.