Oxydendron arboreum (Sourwood)
Heath family- Ericaceae
Native habitat: Found on well-drained, gravelly soils on ridges rising above the banks of streams from the coast of Virginia to North Carolina and in southwestern Pennsylvania, southern Ohio, Indiana, western Kentucky, Tennessee; Appalachians to western Florida and the coasts of Mississippi and Louisiana. Introduced in 1747.
Size: 25 to 30' in height and approximately 20' in spread; can grow 50 to 75'; national champion is 96' by 28' in Great Smoky Mountains National Park, near Cosby, TN.
Leaves: Alternate, simple, 3 to 8" long, 1.5 to 3.5" wide, pale to lustrous dark green and glabrous above, lighter green and sparingly pubescent on veins beneath.
Buds: Small, 1/16" long, solitary, with about 6 scales; terminal lacking.
Bark: Grayish brown to brown, thick, deeply furrowed, and has rather scaly ridges that are often cut horizontally.
Preferred growing conditions: Prefers acid, peaty, moist, well-drained soil; full sun or partial shade although flowering and fall color are maximized in sun; does reasonably well in dry soils; not for polluted or urban areas.
Hardiness: Zone 5, possibly 4, to 9.
(Source: Dirr, Michael- Manual of Woody Landscape Plants)
*Illustration taken from Clemson.edu.
