Plantae>Magnoliophyta>Magnoliopsida>Ebenales>Symplocaceae>Symplocos tinctoria (L.) L'Heritier de Brutelle
| Sweetleaf or horsesugar is a semi-evergreen large shrub or small tree with thick, leathery, yellow-green leaves that are slightly sweet to the taste. Robeson Co., NC 10/4/2009. |
| Sweetleaf is uncommon in the Mountains and rare in the Piedmont, much more common in the Coastal Plain of North Carolina. Robeson Co., NC 10/4/2009. |
| The large buds here will produce flowers in mid-April. Scotland Co., NC 11/1/08. |
| These oddly shaped objects are galls, not fruits! McDowell Co., NC 4/16/2011. |
| More galls. McDowell Co., NC 4/16/2011. |
| Bunches of creamy-white flowers with numerous stamens appear in early spring. Uwharrie National Forest, Montgomery Co., NC 4/17/2011. |
| Uwharrie National Forest, Montgomery Co., NC 4/17/2011. |
| Pender Co., NC 4/19/08. |
| Pender Co., NC 4/19/08. |
| Pender Co., NC 4/19/08. |
| Pender Co., NC 4/19/08. |
| Pender Co., NC 4/19/08. |
| Sweetleaf is the caterpillar food plant for the rare King's Hairstreak (Satyrium kingi). Moore Co., NC 6/6/03. |
| The flowers are a popular nectar source for butterflies. Moore Co., NC 4/13/02. |
| Moore Co., NC 4/20/05. |
| The cylindrical drupes are yellowish-green when ripe. Scotland Co., NC 11/1/08. |
| Another gall. Moore Co., NC 4/20/05. |
| Bark of a mature tree. Moore Co., NC 3/14/07. |
More information:
Trees of Alabama and the Southeast
Virginia Tech Dendrology
NC State
Trees, Shrubs, and Woody Vines of North Carolina
cwcook@duke.eduAll photographs and text ©2012 by Will Cook unless otherwise indicated. All rights reserved.