Sourwood
Oxydendrum arboreum
Family Ericaceae
Sourwood honey is the one beekeepers brag about, and this is the tree that makes it — midsummer curtains of white bells pouring nectar right through the summer gap when little else blooms. Come fall it answers with a scarlet few trees on the continent can match.
Slow-growing to a refined 20-30 ft, it stays in scale with small yards and keeps performing after leaf-drop, holding tan seed sprays all winter. It wants acid soil and offers no trouble in return. If you keep bees — or just admire them — this tree is a standing invitation.
Full Sun to Part Shade
Moderate water
Slow growth
Native to North America
Attracts bees
From the print shop
Growing sourwood? Hang it.
Our Plant Library collection carries sourwood — Oxydendrum arboreum, print Nº 442, “Sourwood.”
526 designsfrom $12.99white or black backgroundmatte poster, unframed
Will it thrive where you are?
Enter your ZIP — we look up your USDA hardiness zone (2023 map) and check it against what sourwood actually needs.
Hardy inZones 5-9Sourwood · Common problems
Common sourwood problems
Pests
1 problem on file
- Almost none
Diseases
1 problem on file
- Almost none
Sourwood · Growing & propagation
Growing sourwood
- Light
- Full Sun to Part Shade
- Water
- Moderate
Soil- Acid, moist, well-drained · pH 5.0 - 6.0
Fertilizer- Light acid feed
Pruning- After flowering (rarely needed)
A refined native with three great seasons: cascading white summer flowers (source of coveted sourwood honey, and a rare midsummer bee bloom), then some of the earliest and most brilliant scarlet-crimson fall color of any tree, and lacy tan seed sprays for winter. Slow and pest-free. Needs acid, well-drained soil like its blueberry relatives.
Spacing- 15-20 ft
How to plant & propagate sourwood
- Propagate
- Seed (stratify), cuttings, or layering
Sourwood · Calculators & field guides
A little help in the garden.
Sourwood · Yearly calendar
The sourwood year, month by month
Jan
No calendar activity is listed for this month.
BloomBloomJuly
What each band means
- Bloom — flowers open — pollinators working, frost on blossoms is the danger.
These are the species' typical months — expect them a few weeks earlier in warm zones and later in cold ones. Watch the plant, not just the calendar.
Sourwood · Ecology & uses
Ecology & uses
Oxydendrum arboreum
Sourwood in the garden system
- Understory layer tree
- Nectary/insectary
Attracts- Bees
- Moisture
- Facultative / average
Deer- Browsed
Protect young plants
- Origin
- Native to North America
What sourwood is grown for
✓ Not known to be toxicthe sour leaves were a folk thirst-quencher; honey is the famous product
Use- Sourwood honey
- Use
- Best fall red
- Use
- Small native tree
Edibility, identification, and traditional-use notes here are general reference — not medical or veterinary advice, and not a claim that any plant treats or prevents anything. Medicinal ratings record how strongly a plant features in herbal tradition, nothing more. Never eat or dose a plant you have not positively identified. More on how to use this library.
Sourwood · Varieties & cultivars
Choosing a sourwood variety
Species (no common cultivars — the wild tree is perfect)
Sources & plant identity
Know what you’re growing.
See where the knowledge comes from.
Sourwood
Oxydendrum arboreum
The plant, at a glance.
- Botanical name
- Oxydendrum arboreum
- Plant family
- Ericaceae
- Growth habit
- Tree · Perennial
- Origin
- Native to North America
- USDA plant symbol
- OXAR
- Invasive risk
- Low
Hardiness, size and timing vary with your cultivar, soil and climate.
Rooted in research.
University extension research, brought together with hands-on growing experience at Story Thyme Farms.
Questions
Sourwood questions, answered straight.
Is sourwood safe for kids and pets?
Sourwood is commonly eaten and isn't considered toxic, but "commonly eaten" isn't a guarantee for any particular person or animal — allergies, quantity, and which part you eat all matter. One caveat on this one: the sour leaves were a folk thirst-quencher; honey is the famous product. Never eat a plant you haven't positively identified, and check with a vet before letting pets or livestock graze anything new.
How do you propagate sourwood?
Seed (stratify), cuttings, or layering.
Elsewhere
Where sourwood sits in the library.
Spicebush
Sweetbay Magnolia
Red Buckeye
Fringe Tree