PlantFiles: Sourwood, Sorrel Tree, Lily of the Valley Tree
Oxydendrum arboreum

i bought a house in yardley, PA 3 years back, and have been trying to find out what is the name of a 50 foot tree in the front yard. After visiting Longwood gardens, i finally saw what i had....a sourwood tree. My sourwood was much taller than the one at Longwood, and the experts keep telling me that sourwoods are not that tall. Anyway, I love it. The bees are all over it in the summer time, and it is beautiful with tassles covering it all summer long.

I LOVE this tree, which I discovered as a crimson "what-the-heck-is-that???" one Sunday last autumn, tucked away alongside a busy road. I kept looking into winter, noticing the gorgeous branching structure. Spring came, and with the Andromeda-like flowers, I was once again wondering, what the heck is that? I finally couldn't help myself and pulled into the nearest restaurant parking lot, trespassed onto the person's yard, and was blown away by the scent and the dozens and dozens of bees. I have since planted my own sapling, which is growing slowly and seems to want to grow as a wide-spreading shrub. I hope it survives winter, as I'm further north and higher up than the tree. I'm in zone 6A, whereas the tree was probably at the cusp of zones 6 and 7.

My Oxydendrum scared me silly this spring. Its branches looked scorched, literally as if someone had taken a match to them. Lo and behold, it leafed out and looks happier than ever, despite heavy cicada damage (last year was the 17 year cicada infestation here).

The fall color is gorgeous: in full sun, it turned bright scarlet, a wonderful partner to the Franklinia nearby.

Mine is planted in a raised bed constructed specifically for Ericaceous plants, as it is happiest in those conditions (moist, well-drained, acid soil).

I am in zone 5B and have two--doing well for the last five years. The one in partial shade is about two-thirds of the size of the one in full sun, even though they were almost identical in size when planted. I love the fall coloring.

I tried two of these in my backyard (clay/rocky soil) as they were said to grow in my area (Zone 6b) as its northermost range. They are beautiful trees, especially in the fall, but did not survive into their second year. Either a harsh winter or poor soil conditions killed them both off...would not try again.

Listed as a good fall/winter color plant for Florida through zone 9b. Native range is the extreme western pan handle of the state though. Small tree to 30 feet.

It likes dry sites.

I love this tree. The flat sprays of blossoms are small and urn-shaped, but beautiful and the calyx stays on so long, it appears to still be blooming. I have one in my yard that has the most incredible brilliant dark red autumn colors. We almost cut it because they tend to grow tall and leggy with most of the bloom at the top. Today I saw one in someone's yard that had been trimmed to make it bush out and it was spectacular with a lovely shape and many more blooms.
The prized honey is almost water-clear and has a less sweet, almost nutty flavor.

Very nice ornamental tree but does not do well in environments with much pollution.

This slight but showy tree is found all over the southern Appalachians. The flowers do resemble Lily of the Valley and the bees love them. No visit to see the mountain fall 'colors' is complete without obtaining a jar of the highly prized Sourwood Honey. In the fall, our roadsides and hillsides are covered with the showy mostly dark red, but some orange to yellow, sourwoods.

This is a slow growing(often twisted)deciduous tree,that grows from 25 to 30 feet in height and has a 20 foot spread.Can be grown in sun or partial shade and prefers a slightly acid,moist,well-drained soil but tolerates dry soil.The white,fragrant,bell- shaped flowers form drooping graceful clusters that look much like Lily of the Valley. That bloom from June to July.The fruit is a capsule found in a drooping clusters that persist into winter.This makes a excellent ornamental tree.The fall color can be yellow, red,or purple you get the best color show when grown in full sun.