Leaf guide › Other hardwoods
Sourwood
Oxydendrum arboreum
One of the first trees to turn scarlet in the southern Appalachians, often while the forest around it is still green.
- Fall color
- RedPurple
- Turns
- Early
- Leaves
- Alternate (one per spot)
- Size
- 4–7 in. long
- Found in
- Appalachians, Southeast, Mid-Atlantic
How to recognize it
- Long, narrow, elliptical leaves with a pointed tip.
- Edges lined with very fine teeth, which you can often feel more easily than see.
- The leaves taste sour, which is where the tree gets its name.
- Drooping sprays of pale seed capsules hang from the branch tips into fall, often against red leaves.
- One of the earliest trees to turn, often in September.
Where to find it
Look for it on well-drained slopes, ridges, and road cuts in the southern Appalachians, often as a small, leaning tree at the forest edge.
Easy to confuse with
Worth knowing
In summer, sourwood hangs sprays of small white bell-shaped flowers from its branch tips, and the honey bees make from them is a prized regional specialty in the southern Appalachians. In fall it’s one of the first splashes of red along the Blue Ridge Parkway.
Common questions
What color does sourwood turn in fall?
Sourwood turns scarlet to deep red and maroon, sometimes with purple, and it’s one of the most reliable early reds in the southern mountains.
When does sourwood change color?
Early, often in September, well ahead of most trees around it.
How can you tell sourwood from black gum?
Black gum: Smooth leaf edges with no teeth, glossy leaves, and small dark blue berries. Sourwood: Finely toothed edges, sour-tasting leaves, and drooping sprays of pale seed capsules.
Where does sourwood grow?
In the lower 48, look for it in the Appalachians, the Southeast, and the Mid-Atlantic, usually on well-drained slopes and ridges.
See where the color is peaking today.
Open the foliage map