Flower profile
Sourwood
Oxydendrum arboreum
Sourwood is a flowering plant that USDA PLANTS lists as native in the lower 48 states. It's on our flower lists for 5 states, and across the U.S. it's most often seen in bloom in June–August.
*iNaturalist research-grade observations, as of October 17, 2026.
On our lists for: Alabama, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, West Virginia
Quick look
Oxydendrum arboreum, commonly known as sourwood or sorrel tree, is the sole species in the genus Oxydendrum, in the family Ericaceae. It is native to eastern North America, from southern Pennsylvania south to northwest Florida and west to southern Illinois; it is most common in the lower chain of the Appalachian Mountains. The tree is frequently seen as a component of oak-heath forests.
- It belongs to the Ericaceae family. iNaturalist
- USDA PLANTS describes it as a shrub / a tree with a perennial life cycle. USDA PLANTS
- USDA PLANTS lists it as native in the lower 48 states and records it in 19 states. USDA PLANTS
- NatureServe lists it as native to North Carolina, Georgia, Alabama, South Carolina and West Virginia. NatureServe
- In North Carolina, most iNaturalist sightings of it in flower come in June–August. iNaturalist
- In Georgia, most iNaturalist sightings of it in flower come in May–August. iNaturalist
- USDA PLANTS lists its flower color as white. USDA PLANTS
- USDA PLANTS gives its bloom period as early summer. USDA PLANTS
- USDA PLANTS lists a mature height of about 35 ft. USDA PLANTS
- iNaturalist has 3,930 research-grade sightings of it in North Carolina, ranking #29 among the 111 flowers on our North Carolina list. iNaturalist
- iNaturalist has 1,518 research-grade sightings of it in Georgia, ranking #48 among the 111 flowers on our Georgia list. iNaturalist
- iNaturalist has 668 research-grade sightings of it in Alabama, ranking #90 among the 111 flowers on our Alabama list. iNaturalist
Sourwood gift ideas
Handmade sourwood gifts from independent makers.
🌱 Sample spot. Handmade gift picks from independent shops will appear here once our shop partnership is approved. These cards are placeholders, not real products.
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Sourwood art print
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Sourwood greeting card
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Sourwood mug
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Sourwood earrings
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Sourwood embroidery pattern
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Sourwood sticker
When does it bloom?
Bloom time in each of our 5 states
| State | Type | Peak bloom | Sightings* |
|---|---|---|---|
| North Carolina | Native | June–August | 3,930 |
| Georgia | Native | May–August | 1,518 |
| Alabama | Native | May–July | 668 |
| South Carolina | Native | May–July | 548 |
| West Virginia | Native | June–August | 509 |
Conservation status
- Federal (U.S. ESA)
- Not listed No U.S. Endangered Species Act listing in the USFWS ECOS database. USFWS ECOS
- NatureServe global
- G5 Secure worldwide. NatureServe
- North Carolina
- Not listed Not on North Carolina Protected Plant Species List (02 NCAC 48F .0301). NatureServe: S5, secure in North Carolina. 02 NCAC 48F .0301
- Georgia
- Not listed Not on Georgia protected plants (Ga. Comp. R. & Regs. 391-4-10-.09; a 2026 update is proposed). NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in Georgia. Ga. R. 391-4-10-.09
- Alabama
- No list Alabama has no state law listing endangered or threatened plants, so we show NatureServe's Alabama ranks instead. NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in Alabama.
- South Carolina
- No list South Carolina has no state law listing endangered or threatened plants, so we show NatureServe's South Carolina ranks instead. NatureServe: S5, secure in South Carolina.
- West Virginia
- No list West Virginia has no state law listing endangered or threatened plants (only federally listed species are protected), so we show NatureServe's West Virginia ranks instead. NatureServe: S5, secure in West Virginia.
- Rare elsewhere
- Other states where NatureServe ranks it rare or missing: MD (S1). (S1 critically imperiled, S2 imperiled, SH possibly extirpated, SX presumed extirpated.)
Checked October 17, 2026. Rankings and lists can change, so follow the links for the latest.
Can you eat it?
NC State Extension notes: “Leaves contain oxalic acid and acidic to taste. A tea made from the leaves has been used in the treatment of asthma, diarrhoea, indigestion.” NC State Extension
It isn't on the ASPCA plant list, and NC State Extension doesn't flag it for pets.
🌿 Never eat a wild plant unless you're certain of its ID; this isn't medical advice. Worried about a person? Call Poison Control at 1-800-222-1222. Worried about a pet? Call your vet.
Where does it grow?
USDA PLANTS records sourwood in 19 states.
recorded by USDA PLANTS on our state lists not recorded
See the full list of states
Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia.
North Carolina counties with USDA records: Alamance, Alexander, Avery, Beaufort, Bertie, Buncombe, Burke, Cabarrus, Caldwell, Carteret, Caswell, Catawba, Chatham, Cherokee, Chowan, Clay, Craven, Cumberland, Currituck, Dare, Davidson, Duplin, Durham, Edgecombe, Forsyth, Franklin, Gaston, Gates, Graham, Granville, Greene, Guilford, Halifax, Harnett, Haywood, Henderson, Hertford, Hoke, Iredell, Jackson, Johnston, Jones, Lee, Lenoir, Lincoln, Macon, Madison, Martin, McDowell, Mecklenburg, Mitchell, Montgomery, Moore, Nash, Northampton, Onslow, Orange, Pasquotank, Person, Pitt, Polk, Randolph, Richmond, Robeson, Rockingham, Rowan, Sampson, Scotland, Stanly, Stokes, Surry, Swain, Transylvania, Union, Vance, Wake, Washington, Watauga, Wayne, Wilkes, Wilson, Yadkin, Yancey.
Georgia counties with USDA records: Bartow, Bibb, Carroll, Clarke, Cobb, Dade, DeKalb, Douglas, Early, Effingham, Elbert, Floyd, Forsyth, Fulton, Gilmer, Glascock, Grady, Habersham, Hall, Harris, Jackson, Lincoln, Meriwether, Morgan, Murray, Oconee, Oglethorpe, Pickens, Pike, Rabun, Richmond, Spalding, Stephens, Sumter, Talbot, Thomas, Walker.
Alabama counties with USDA records: Autauga, Baldwin, Barbour, Bibb, Blount, Butler, Calhoun, Chambers, Chilton, Choctaw, Clarke, Clay, Cleburne, Coffee, Colbert, Conecuh, Coosa, Crenshaw, Cullman, Dallas, DeKalb, Elmore, Fayette, Franklin, Geneva, Greene, Hale, Houston, Jackson, Jefferson, Lamar, Lauderdale, Lawrence, Lee, Limestone, Lowndes, Macon, Madison, Marengo, Marshall, Mobile, Monroe, Morgan, Perry, Pickens, Pike, Randolph, Russell, Shelby, St. Clair, Talladega, Tallapoosa, Tuscaloosa, Walker, Washington, Wilcox, Winston.
More North Carolina flowers
Sources
- USDA, NRCS. PLANTS Database, profile OXAR.
- iNaturalist, Oxydendrum arboreum: taxonomy, research-grade observation counts and “Flowering” annotations, retrieved October 17, 2026.
- Wikipedia, Oxydendrum (lead quoted under CC BY-SA 4.0).
- North Carolina: North Carolina Protected Plant Species List (02 NCAC 48F .0301).
- North Carolina: North Carolina Noxious Weed List (02 NCAC 48A .1702) (the list names any non-native Lythrum; we apply it to purple loosestrife (Lythrum salicaria), which isn't native).
- Georgia: Georgia protected plants (Ga. Comp. R. & Regs. 391-4-10-.09; a 2026 update is proposed).
- Alabama: Alabama noxious weeds (Ala. Admin. Code r. 80-10-14-.04).
- South Carolina: South Carolina State Plant Pest List, plants (S.C. Code Regs. 27-135; Clemson Dept. of Plant Industry).
- West Virginia: West Virginia noxious weeds (W. Va. Code R. § 61-14A-5) (the rule abbreviates some names (e.g. “P. cuspidatum”); we expand them to match).
- USFWS, ECOS species database (ESA listing check), October 17, 2026.
- NatureServe Explorer, Oxydendrum arboreum (global and state ranks).
- Edibility and toxicity: NC State Extension.
- Photo: Kyle Van Houtan via iNaturalist · CC BY 4.0 · resized.