From last fall: One of the reddest reds on the landscape, associates with ericaceous heath belts with minimal light competition. So mainly dry sandstone with shallow nutrient poor soils and good drainage or sandstone barrens. Due to slow growth and an acidic weathering effect associated with the bark cortex and the water retention these species also tend to have incredible lichen diversity.
Citheronia regalis horn devil larva are associated as the primary moth that eats these leaves.
Oxydendrum arboreum
Sourwood, or some call it sour bark tree, chewing on the bark and active phloem was once common practice to alleviate the nerve pain associated with toothaches. The leaves themselves are an anti-gas, anti-inflammatory laxative(strong one at that). In some cases a tea can be made of the leaves that also aids in other issues and have been used to treat urinary infections by native people and early settlers to the Appalachian mountains and ilp.
Right now at llanfair permaculture we have an interesting soil dynamic that may be accessible for species like this due to good drainage and high organic comp as well as good lighting, the other thing is that these seeds don't seem to require any specialized treatment to germinate.
https://www.jstor.org/stable/3799771
The aim of the present study was to evaluate the physical, biochemical and antioxidant properties of four Malaysian monofloral types of hone
