01 November 2023.
Santa Rosa County, Florida, United States
Locality: Blackwater River State Forest. Forest road Y15, north of Fischer Old Mill Rd.
Coordinates: 30.6273, -86.8384
(Map it)
Elevation: 7m.
Georeference protocol: Lat/lon determined by GPS
Environment description: Wet Pine Flatwood. Slope: 2%. Aspect: East-southeast. Elevation: 23 feet.
Number of plants sampled: 10
Associated species: Pinus palustris; Ilex glabra; Ilex coriacea; Morella cerifera; Cliftonia monophylla; Aronia arbutifolia; Vaccinium elliottii; Smilax laurifolia; Rubus sp.; Rhododendron viscosum Serrulatum Group (as R. serrulatum).
Comment: Sourwood is a beautiful deciduous, small to medium-sized tree. Usually 20-30 ft tall and half as wide, oval-pyramidal in shape. First-year shoots often bright red, typically darker gray with lighter gray furrows; bark becomes ridged and scaly, blocky with age. Leaves alternate, simple, glossy, 3-6” long by 1-3’ wide; elliptic, oval, oblong-lanceolate; margin entire to minutely serrulate; apex acute to acuminate; base broadly cuneate. Flowers white, bell-shaped, on slender, drooping, 4-8" long one-sided terminal panicles. Blooms June to July, but panicles persist after flowers drop and resemble long fingers. Fruit brownish capsules, 1/3-1/2”, ripen to silver-gray in September and October. Capsules provide a nice contrast with the red fall color, and continue to persist after leaf drop, adding ornamental interest into winter. This site has a very high population density, and the majority appear young, 8-10’ tall. Ron Miller notes the distinct phenotypic similarity of this Gulf Coast ecotype to the mountain form of North Carolina and Georgia. Common. Seed collected from 10 plants.
Collector(s):