Common Sweetleaf
Symplocos tinctoria
- Native to:
- United States
This image was created by user Alexey Sergeev (asergeev) (mushroomobserver.org) at Mushroom Observer (mushroomobserver.org) , a source for mycological images. You can contact this user here (mushroomobserver.org) .
Taxonomy
- Division:
- Magnoliophyta | - Flowering plants
- Family:
- Symplocaceae
- Genus:
- Symplocos
- Species:
- Symplocos tinctoria
- USDA Symbol:
- SYTI
Growth Characteristics
- Life Cycle:
- Perennial
- Growth Habit:
- Shrub , Tree
- Height:
- 600 cm
- Light Requirements:
- Part Shade
- Drought Tolerance:
- Medium
- Bloom Months:
- mar,apr,may
- Bloom Colors:
- yellow, cream
- Landscaping Shrub:
- Yes
Wildlife Benefits
- Bees:
- ★☆☆☆☆ Documented bee visitation (GBIF)
- Butterflies & Moths:
- ★☆☆☆☆ Documented Lepidoptera association (GBIF)
- Caterpillars:
- ★☆☆☆☆ Recorded caterpillar host plant (HOSTS Database)
Host Plant for Caterpillars
Promethea silkmoth (Callosamia promethea), King's hairstreak (Satyrium kingi)
Garden & Ecology Notes
- Wildlife Value:
- bees, birds, butterflies
- Fragrant:
- Yes
- Fall Color:
- yellow
- Fire Ecology:
- Fire adapted — tolerates or benefits from fire
- Fire Notes:
- Resprouts vigorously from the root crown following fire. Common in fire-maintained pine-oak woodlands of the southeastern Coastal Plain.
Soil Requirements
- Soil Type:
- rich, well-drained loamy soil
- pH:
- 5.5 - 6.5 (slightly acidic to neutral)
- Drainage:
- excellent drainage required
- Moisture:
- consistently moist
- Notes:
- native to southeastern US woodlands
Propagation & Germination
- Stratification:
- Warm then cold/moist stratification (double dormancy) — 90–180 days
- Germination Time:
- 30–90 days
- Notes:
- Double dormancy requiring warm stratification followed by cold stratification. Germination can be erratic.
The above propagation data sourced from Claude AI