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Sourwood

Oxydendrum arboreum

Found in moist to dry deciduous forests, especially moderately dry to dry oak-hickory and oak-pine forests, and also often in sandhill/pocosin ecotones. Weakley, Flora of the Southeastern United States (2025), Northern Tier edition What its natural habitat tells you

59
Strong

Native to West Virginia. How scores work Is it native here?

Profile 100%

Height
20–30 feet
Spread
10–15 feet
Light
Dappled sunlight, Deep shade, Full sun, Partial shade
Soil moisture
Somewhat dry to moist

Space about 12.5 ft apart from its recorded spread. Enter your bed size for a count

Will it fit your yard?

At a glance

Life cycle
Woody perennial
Leaves
Deciduous
Bloom
Summer
Fruiting season
September to October

Recorded in 38 West Virginia counties.

Natural habitats

Places it grows wild. Not a planting requirement. Each habitat page lists the plants and wildlife also found there.

Forests and woodlands

Forest or woodland where the source does not say how moist or dry.

All habitats

Also found with this plant

Wildlife whose habitat models include habitats this plant grows in, in West Virginia. Shared habitat, not food. 96 animals.

Widespread birds also seen here (38)

Found in many habitats here, so not listed above.

All wildlife of West Virginia

Care

  • Move plants only while young.
Care sources
Ecological relationships

Who uses this plant?

What these records mean

15CaterpillarsGenus host records with ranges including WV

Genus host records with ranges including WV · Oxydendrum

  • Acronicta impletaYellow-Haired Dagger
  • Amorbia humerosanaWhite-Lined Leafroller Moth
  • Cecrita biundataWavy-Lined Heterocampa
  • Citheronia regalisRoyal Walnut Moth, Hickory Horned Devil
  • Datana drexeliiDrexel's Datana
  • Datana ministraYellow-Necked Caterpillar Moth
  • Deidamia inscriptumLettered Sphinx
  • Dichomeris ligulellaPalmerworm
  • Egira alternansAlternate Woodling
  • Hyphantria cuneaFall Webworm
Show all 15
  • Lithophane unimodaDowdy Pinion
  • Lophocampa maculataSpotted Tussock Moth, Yellow-Spotted Tiger Moth
  • Orgyia leucostigmaWhite-Marked Tussock Moth
  • Pangrapta decoralisDecorated Owlet
  • Xystopeplus rufagoRed-Winged Sallow
Shropshire & Tallamy 2025, Lepidoptera of North America north of Mexico, ZooKeys 1261 (ODbL)
7BeesSoutheastern regional records

Southeastern regional records · Oxydendrum

Individual names are not available yet.

Noori, Seltmann & Orr 2026, A curated and integrated dataset for exploring global bee-plant interactions (GloBI), Zenodo, CC BY 4.0
0Specialist beesPollen specialists
—BirdsRecorded genus food-resource interactions; not a state feeding claim

No records yet · Ants · Beetles · Flies · Adult butterflies / moths · Other wasps · Other insects

Growing and identification

Plant details

Family
Ericaceae
Hardiness
Zones 5a–9b
Soil pH
Acidic
Flower color
Cream or white
Growth rate
Slow
Growth habit
Single stem
Foliage color
Green
Fruit begins
September
Fruit ends
October

Safety has not been reviewed for this plant; check toxicity and thorns before planting.

Growing sources and scope

Conservation status

West Virginia rankS5
Global rankG5
WV statusNot verified
Federal statusNot verified

Conservation source Global and federal source

In your garden

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How to check your spot

Sources