The illustrated growing guide
Sourwood
Oxydendrum arboreum
Family Ericaceae
Est. zones 5-9
A gorgeous, underused native — midsummer curtains of white bell-flowers (making the legendary sourwood honey and feeding bees in the summer nectar gap), then fall foliage of an intense scarlet few trees match, then tan seed sprays all winter. Slow-growing, trouble-free, and refined enough for any small yard with acid soil.
Full Sun to Part Shade
Moderate water
Slow growth
Native to North America
Attracts beesI
Overview
Will sourwood suit your garden, and what goes wrong.
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 at a glance
Common sourwood problems
- Almost none
- Almost none
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Growing
Light, water, soil, propagation and the season’s jobs.
How to grow sourwood: light, water & soil
How to plant & propagate sourwood
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The year
What sourwood asks for, month by month.
The sourwood year, month by month
BloomWhat each band means
- Bloom — flowers open — pollinators working, frost on blossoms is the danger.
The sourwood year as text
- Jan quiet month
- Feb quiet month
- Mar quiet month
- Apr quiet month
- May quiet month
- Jun quiet month
- Jul bloom
- Aug quiet month
- Sep quiet month
- Oct quiet month
- Nov quiet month
- Dec quiet month
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.
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Ecology & uses
What it does for the garden, and what it is grown for.
Sourwood in the garden system
- Understory layer tree
- Nectary/insectary
What sourwood is grown for
✓ Not known to be toxicthe sour leaves were a folk thirst-quencher; honey is the famous product
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.
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Cultivars
Named varieties of sourwood, ruled as a catalogue.
Best sourwood varieties & cultivars
Species (no common cultivars — the wild tree is perfect)
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Sources & plant ID
Where the care distinctions come from, and how the plant is filed.
Research basis
Sources behind this profile
No extension citations are attached to sourwoodyet. The care figures below come from the library's own catalogue rather than a traced primary source.
Plant ID
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Where to buy
Third-party nurseries — not Story Thyme Farms.
Third-party nurseries, not Story Thyme Farms. Prices are theirs.
Story Thyme Farms may earn a small commission from these links, at no cost to you — it never changes what we recommend.
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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.
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Elsewhere
Where sourwood sits in the library.
Spicebush
Sweetbay Magnolia
Red Buckeye
Fringe Tree