Might the temperature there have fallen below the minimum for this tree? Or could it have gotten too wet at some point? Same with the sumac, maybe too wet? Out here the smooth sumac is seen growing natively on blazing hot rocky slopes in the semiarid interior.

In the Carolinas the sourwood is seen growing wild on bedrock outcroppings. Being a heath family tree it produces fine roots that have the typical requirement for a well-aerated soil. Even the minority of species in the family that grow in bogs in nature may be growing in dryish peat or under other circumstances that compensate for the general wetness.

The tree is supposed to be hardy to zone 5, I'm zone 5b. My soil is not wet...while the soil does tend to clay, it grows in similar soil (albeit acid) in a friend's yard in Connecticut, and here there isn't a problem with being too wet. It was in a raised area, and we had prolonged drought in the fall followed by long periods of very heavily frozen soil and high, dry wind.

Wet doesn't describe my soil unless it is at the far back (not where near where this tree was planted) in the early spring. I know that this tree is shallowly rooted, and if anything it might have been the drought rather than too much water.

The smooth sumac was lost because of the prolonged freeze and I just remembered I root pruned it preparatory to moving it this spring....needless to say, it's not getting moved except for the carcass.

Sourwood trees grow wild along country roads in SE VA. Our soil is acidic. I bought one from a grower in Lexington KY (zone 5 or 6).

I would expect it to be tender after being transplanted last year. Was it mulched? If yes, how deep? If you decide to grow another, give it as much protection as you can for the first two years.

The sourwood in question had been planted in the late summer of 2007. It was mulched to a depth of 2" with cypress mulch. The tree had been grown 50 miles south of here at Earthscapes nursery outside of Cincinnati.

I bought a young sourwood last spring (trunk width of baby finger) and I was told to plant it as early in the season as possible to get it established well before winter. And to mulch well for the winter.

I did both and it survived. Although very late to leaf out, the growth tips are green so I am confident and being patient.

I've seen very impressive 40' tall Sourwood Trees in Central Massachusetts, which have gone through temperatures of -27ºF(-32.8ºC), so I doubt you got too cold for this species. More likely the drought you described. Also, I've never seen a Sourwood Tree live in anything but acidic soil. I've seen dozens upon dozens die in neutral and alkaline soils. I've even seen them very unhappy and struggling to live in slightly acidic soils. If I was you, I'd do everything I could to make your soil more acidic in a relatively large area around where you will be planting the tree and use an acidic organic mulch. Good luck!

Thanks Kman04 for sharing your thoughts on Sourwood trees' needs for acidic soil. Almost 5 years ago, I planted one about the size that michgoose described first planting. I have been wondering why it has grown so little over those years. It is not planted too deeply, and it is planted at a place where the soil drains well and where it does not suffer root suffocation. It has grown in height only a few inches since I first planted it. It has though, developed a nice canopy for it's height, and the trunk of the tree seems to be looking a little more stout.

It's slow growth made me wonder if I had been sold a cultivar which would remain dwarf in size or end up growing no larger than a nice sized patio tree. After reading your advice though I am starting to understand that tree might need more acid of a soil than what my slightly acidic clay soil offers. I guess now I should start using pine bark mulch under this tree in an effort to increase the acid levels in the soil under this tree's canopy. That works for my azaleas, and hopefully it will also help my Sourwood tree. There is a temptation for me to mix some moistened, dry peat moss in along with the pine needles, but I am not certain if doing that will help the tree.

Acid soil is a necessity for sourwood, but hardiness is also an issue. Once these trees reach a fairly substantial size, they do seem fully Z5 hardy. In their early years, however, they seem much more vulnerable to cold. They can be killed outright by an especially severe winter but more commonly - in my experience - show a lot of branch dieback for several years after planting. Sourwood, like a number of other plants native to the Southeast seems to keep on growing very late into fall. This leaves a good deal of unripened wood subject to the effects of cold and wind. The dieback seems to end after the tree has had several years to settle down. Severe cold without any snow cover can also do a huge amount of damage to plants with relatively shallow root systems. Top hardiness is always greater than root hardiness.

Katrina, Sourwood by it's very nature is a slow growing tree. My friend in Connecticut has one which has been in for over 30 years and it is still only about 8" in diameter.

Mainegrower thanks for your observations. Yours is the first to comment on that in any of the things I've read. Dirr's book, which I usually rely on, doesn't mention that fact.

I am going to have to have the soil tested. I'm growing some "acid loving" plants, but have decided to forgo the rhodies and azaleas...I have a Sweetbay Magnolia which is doing fine.

I'm sort of heartbroken as it is looking like the Sourwood might not be a viable choice....I wanted a "gentlemanly" tree for this area which is about 10' to the east of our swimming pool and on the south side of our deck. I was looking for year round interest, but no "litter" as maple and many other trees would give...trying to stay out of stuff being dumped in the pool.