Dec 5, 2016
Oxydendrum arboreum – Sourwood
Plant community: Oak Hickory
Native region: Eastern and southeastern United States
Mature size: Height: 20 to 50 feet, Spread: 10 to 25 feet
Habitat: Commonly found on rocky wooded slopes
Hardiness Zone(s): 5-9
Leaf color: Summer: glossy green, Fall: crimson red
Bloom color: white
Benefit to Wildlife: Sourwood sprouts are often browsed by white-tailed deer. In a study on 35 acres (14 ha) of the Pisgah National Forest in North Carolina, browse utilization of sourwood twigs by white-tailed deer was 74 percent.
Larval host: N/A
Sources:
http://www.missouribotanicalgarden.org/PlantFinder/PlantFinderDetails.aspx?kempercode=a887
http://www.fs.fed.us/database/feis/plants/tree/oxyarb/all.html