Flower profile

Sourwood

Oxydendrum arboreum

Sourwood (Oxydendrum arboreum) is a shrub or small tree in the Ericaceae family, native in the lower 48 states, blooming mostly June–July across the U.S.

Native in the lower 48

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–July.

19states where USDA records it

5Bloomipedia state lists include it

10,389U.S. sightings*

*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.
From Wikipedia's article Oxydendrum, CC BY-SA 4.0.

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–July. ^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 #30 among the 192 flowers on our North Carolina list. ^iNaturalist
iNaturalist has 1,518 research-grade sightings of it in Georgia, ranking #50 among the 183 flowers on our Georgia list. ^iNaturalist
iNaturalist has 668 research-grade sightings of it in Alabama, ranking #94 among the 167 flowers on our Alabama list. ^iNaturalist

When does it bloom?

Flowering records by month across the U.S. (iNaturalist research-grade observations marked “Flowering”) (439 records)

Bloom time in the 5 states whose Bloomipedia list includes it

State	Type	Peak bloom	Sightings*
North Carolina	Native	June–July	3,930
Georgia	Native	few records (32)	1,518
Alabama	Native	few records (22)	668
South Carolina	Native	few records (34)	548
West Virginia	Native	few records (21)	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?

For peopleEdible (per NC State Extension)

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}

For petsNot well documented

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.

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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.

Growing conditions

USDA PLANTS gives Sourwood a low shade tolerance, medium drought tolerance and low moisture use. It is rated for soil pH 4.0 to 6.5 and winter lows down to -13 °F.

Shade tolerance: Low
Drought tolerance: Medium
Moisture use: Low
Soil textures it is adapted to: coarse, medium
Soil pH range: 4.0 to 6.5
Minimum temperature tolerated: -13 °F
Frost-free days needed (minimum): 150
Annual precipitation range: 30 to 40 inches
Minimum root depth: 30 inches
Salinity tolerance: None
Fertility requirement: Low
Growth rate: Slow
Lifespan: Moderate
Active growth period: Spring and Summer
Fruit or seed: Brown · Summer to Fall
Can be propagated by: bare root, container, seed
Commercial availability: Routinely Available

From the USDA PLANTS characteristics data for OXAR. USDA ratings are general guidance for the species, not a guarantee for your garden.

Names, range and relatives

County records: USDA PLANTS lists it in 550 counties across 17 states; the most are in North Carolina (83), Virginia (76), Kentucky (69).

More from the Ericaceae family (55 on Bloomipedia; most observed first): Ghost pipe, Rhododendrons and azaleas, Striped wintergreen, Mountain laurel, Eastern teaberry (wintergreen), Salal, Woodland pinedrops, Pinesap.

More North Carolina flowers

Striped wintergreen

Chimaphila maculata

Native

🌼 Blooms in NC: May–June

Mountain laurel

Kalmia latifolia

★ CT state flowerNative

🌼 Blooms in NC: April–June

Great rhododendron

Rhododendron maximum

★ WV state flowerNative

🌼 Blooms in NC: June–July

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.