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The Sourwood (Oxydendrum arboeum) belongs to Ericaceae (the Azalea family). It is a tall semi-evergreen tree that is native to the eastern United States, Pennsylvania west to Indiana and south to Florida. It grows in the upland forests, and up to 6-9 m in height. It is a pyramidal tree with a rounded crown. The leaves are alternate, ellptic-oblong to oblong-lanceolate, pale to lustrous dark green in the summer and stunning colors of red, purple and yellow in the fall, often of the same plant. The flowers are white, urn-shaped, 6 mm long, fragrant, and bloom in late June to early July in pendulous racemose-panicles. The fruits are dehiscent, 5-valved capsules that mature in the fall and persist through the winter. The Honeycup (Zenobia pulwellenta) is also often confused with its Japanese name, "Suzuran-no-ki".
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