Sourwood Tree Identification

Sourwood, a member of the heath family of trees, grows in the southeastern United States and frequently can be found near rivers and streams. A slow-growing deciduous tree, sourwood makes an excellent landscaping feature.

Size

Sourwoods will grow in the wild to heights between 50 and 75 feet, but a typical cultivated specimen grows only to about 30 feet.

Leaves

Sourwood's elliptical leaves are 5 to 8 inches long and 1 to 3 inches wide, with a shiny bright or dark green color in the summer. They change to a rich scarlet, maroon, or plum color in autumn, helping to make the sourwood a valued ornamental tree.

Flowers

The flowers bloom in the middle of July and resemble tiny white vases, only a 1/4-inch in diameter. These develop into the fruit, a small gray capsule containing sourwood seeds.

Bark

The bark of a sourwood is gray-brown and has a texture best described as scaly. It closely resembles that of flowering dogwood or persimmon.

Shape

When viewed from a distance, a sourwood tree has a pyramid shape and, upon closer inspection, an observer will note that the branches droop.

References

• University of Connecticut:Sourwood
• "A Guide to Field Identification--Trees of North America"; C. Frank Brockman; 1986