Sourwood grows in upland sites in or around forest from southwest Pennsylvania and southeast Ohio down to northwest Florida into Louisiana up into areas of Kentucky. It grows about 1 foot/year and lives about 150 to 200 years. It has thick, glossy, leathery leaves that turn a good red in autumn. The small, bell-like, slightly fragrant flowers are in curving spikes in July followed by tan capsules in late summer and fall. Its root system has some deep lateral roots so it is somewhat difficult to transplant and is best to move in early spring. It is expensive to buy so that it is used mostly by landscape designers in some professional landscapes, mostly in the South, the Mid-Atlantic, and the Northeast; infrequently in some areas of the Midwest where the soil is definitely acid. It is a beautiful, high quality small to medium tree.

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One of my favorite trees here because of its blazing red Autumn leaf color and beautiful flowers in the summertime. It grows best in acidic soil.

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Honey bees get nectar from this plant which produces a light amber honey.

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