Quick Facts
Exposure: Full Sun to Part Shade
Height at Maturity: 20-30 Feet
Usage: Vibrant Foliage
Shipped As: Bare-root
Planting Zones: 5-9
Product Details
We ship bare-root sourwood trees in November 2026, in 1 to 2, 2 to 3 and 3 to 4 foot sizes. Packs run 25, 50, 100 and 500. These are Oxydendrum arboreum, the only species in its genus.
Sourwood Tree Size and Range
In a garden, a sourwood stands 20 to 30 feet high and 10 to 15 feet wide. In forests it grows taller, and on the best sites it tops 98 feet. It is native from southern Pennsylvania to northwest Florida, and west to southern Illinois. It is most common in the lower Appalachian Mountains. Growth is slow, and a tree flowers 4 to 5 years after planting.
Sourwood Flowers and Honey
White bell-shaped flowers, about 1/4 inch long, hang in long clusters from June into July. They smell faintly like lily of the valley. Bees turn the nectar into sourwood honey, a light, rich honey with a following of its own.
Fall Color and Seed Capsules
The leaves turn crimson in fall, and some trees show red, purple and yellow together. Silver-gray seed capsules form in September and October. Each is five-sided and tipped by a tiny style. They stay on the tree into winter. First-year shoots are often bright red.
Why It Is Called Sourwood
The leaves contain oxalic acid, and they taste sour. That is the source of the name. Another old name is sorrel tree. Sourwood belongs to the heath family, the same family as blueberries.
Sourwood Wood and History
The Cherokee and Catawba made arrowshafts from the shoots. The wood is reddish brown, heavy, close-grained and takes a high polish. It weighs about 46 pounds per cubic foot. Old trunks hollow out, and bats, reptiles and amphibians use the cavities.
Good to Know About Sourwood
Sourwood settles in best when planted young, so choose a spot where it can stay. It likes moist, acidic, well-drained soil with a pH under 6. It grows in full sun to part shade, and the best flower and color show in full sun.
Ordering Sourwood Trees in Bulk
Keep the roots damp from the day the box opens. Volume pricing available on all four pack sizes. Our guide to the sourwood tree covers the tree in more detail, and native trees for wildlife and pollinators shows where it fits. You can also browse more trees for sale.