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Spermatophytes (seed plants): Angiosperms (flowering plants): Eudicots: Core Eudicots: Asterids: Ericales

WEAKLEY'S FLORA OF THE SOUTHEASTERN US (4/14/23):
Symplocos tinctoria   FAMILY Symplocaceae   Go to FSUS key



SYNONYMOUS WITH PLANTS NATIONAL DATABASE:
Symplocos tinctoria   FAMILY Symplocaceae

SYNONYMOUS WITH Flora of North America north of Mexico, vol. 8 (2009)

Symplocos tinctoria

SYNONYMOUS WITH Floristic Synthesis of North America (Kartesz, 1999)

Symplocos tinctoria

SYNONYMOUS WITH VASCULAR FLORA OF THE CAROLINAS (Radford, Ahles, & Bell, 1968) 151-01-001:

Symplocos tinctoria   FAMILY Symplocaceae

SYNONYMOUS WITH Manual of the Southeastern Flora (Small, 1933, 1938)

Symplocos tinctoria

 

COMMON NAME:
Horsesugar, Sweetleaf, Dyebush


         To see larger pictures, click or hover over the thumbnails.

image of Symplocos tinctoria, Horsesugar, Sweetleaf, Dyebush

Manual of the Trees of North America (Exclusive of Mexico) (Sargent, 1905)    mtna_i_863

        

image of Symplocos tinctoria, Horsesugar, Sweetleaf, Dyebush

USDA-NRCS PLANTS Database / Britton, N.L., and A. Brown. 1913    pnd_syti_001_lvd

        

image of Symplocos tinctoria, Horsesugar, Sweetleaf, Dyebush

USDA-NRCS PLANTS Database / USDA Wetland flora: Field office illustrated guide    pnd_syti_005_lvd

        

image of Symplocos tinctoria, Horsesugar, Sweetleaf, Dyebush

JK Marlow    jkm100314_067

March    Decatur County    GA

Terminal bud present, larger than laterals, somewhat conical, per Woody Plants of the Southeastern US: A Winter Guide (Lance, 2004).

image of Symplocos tinctoria, Horsesugar, Sweetleaf, Dyebush

JK Marlow    jkm120330_317

March    Pickens County    SC

Jocassee Gorges

Showy tuft-like flower clusters in leaf axils of previous year's branches, per Forest Plants of the Southeast and Their Wildlife Uses (Miller & Miller, 2005).

image of Symplocos tinctoria, Horsesugar, Sweetleaf, Dyebush

JK Marlow    jkm120330_318

March    Pickens County    SC

Jocassee Gorges

image of Symplocos tinctoria, Horsesugar, Sweetleaf, Dyebush

JK Marlow    jkm0404g_01

April    Haywood County    NC

Corneille Bryan Native Garden

Tardily deciduous, per Native Trees of the Southeast, An Identification Guide (Kirkman, Brown, & Leopold, 2007).

image of Symplocos tinctoria, Horsesugar, Sweetleaf, Dyebush

JK Marlow    jkm120424_455

April    Pickens County    SC

Jocassee Gorges

image of Symplocos tinctoria, Horsesugar, Sweetleaf, Dyebush

JK Marlow    jkm120424_457

April    Pickens County    SC

Jocassee Gorges

image of Symplocos tinctoria, Horsesugar, Sweetleaf, Dyebush

JK Marlow    jkm220419_6943

April    Pickens County    SC

image of Symplocos tinctoria, Horsesugar, Sweetleaf, Dyebush

JK Marlow    jkm220419_6945

April    Pickens County    SC

image of Symplocos tinctoria, Horsesugar, Sweetleaf, Dyebush

JK Marlow    jkm220419_6947

April    Pickens County    SC

image of Symplocos tinctoria, Horsesugar, Sweetleaf, Dyebush

JK Marlow    jkm220421_7105

April    Pickens County    SC

Nine Times Preserve

image of Symplocos tinctoria, Horsesugar, Sweetleaf, Dyebush

JK Marlow    jkm220421_7163

April    Pickens County    SC

Nine Times Forest

image of Symplocos tinctoria, Horsesugar, Sweetleaf, Dyebush

JK Marlow    jkm220421_7167

April    Pickens County    SC

Nine Times Forest

image of Symplocos tinctoria, Horsesugar, Sweetleaf, Dyebush

Keith Bradley    kab_s_tinctoria_0464

April    Lexington County    SC

Peachtree Rock Heritage Preserve

Each flower has 5 light yellow petals 6-8mm long, many light yellow stamens, per Forest Plants of the Southeast and Their Wildlife Uses (Miller & Miller, 2005).

image of Symplocos tinctoria, Horsesugar, Sweetleaf, Dyebush

Keith Bradley    kab_s_tinctoria_0470

April    Lexington County    SC

Peachtree Rock Heritage Preserve

Conspicuous when in flower, flowers opening before new leaves, per Trees of the Southeastern United States (Duncan & Duncan, 1988).

image of Symplocos tinctoria, Horsesugar, Sweetleaf, Dyebush

Keith Bradley    kab_s_tinctoria_0487

April    Lexington County    SC

Peachtree Rock Heritage Preserve

image of Symplocos tinctoria, Horsesugar, Sweetleaf, Dyebush

Keith Bradley    kab_s_tinctoria_0501

April    Lexington County    SC

Peachtree Rock Heritage Preserve

image of Symplocos tinctoria, Horsesugar, Sweetleaf, Dyebush

Mark A. Musselman    mam_horsesugar040210d

April    Dorchester County    SC

Audubon Center at Francis Beidler Forest

image of Symplocos tinctoria, Horsesugar, Sweetleaf, Dyebush

JK Marlow    jkm0505k_34

May    Haywood County    NC

Corneille Bryan Native Garden

image of Symplocos tinctoria, Horsesugar, Sweetleaf, Dyebush

Alan S. Weakley    asw_10231836652835313

June        

image of Symplocos tinctoria, Horsesugar, Sweetleaf, Dyebush

JK Marlow    jkm120616_912

June    Greenville County    SC

Jones Gap State Park

Leaves finely hairy beneath, per Trees of the Southeastern United States (Duncan & Duncan, 1988).

image of Symplocos tinctoria, Horsesugar, Sweetleaf, Dyebush

JK Marlow    jkm120825_958

August    Greenville County    SC

Jones Gap State Park

image of Symplocos tinctoria, Horsesugar, Sweetleaf, Dyebush

JK Marlow    jkm120825_961

August    Greenville County    SC

Jones Gap State Park

Mostly evergreen with thick, leathery leaf blades, per Native Shrubs and Woody Vines of the Southeast (Foote & Jones, 1989).

image of Symplocos tinctoria, Horsesugar, Sweetleaf, Dyebush

JK Marlow    jkm0509l_04

September    Transylvania County    NC

A subcoriaceous evergreen appearance, but here only semi-evergreen, per Weakley's Flora.

image of Symplocos tinctoria, Horsesugar, Sweetleaf, Dyebush

Ron Lance    rwl_stinctoria

September    Oconee County    SC

Fruit is an oblong drupe, pelletlike, purplish after maturity, per Woody Plants of the Southeastern US: A Winter Guide (Lance, 2004).

image of Symplocos tinctoria, Horsesugar, Sweetleaf, Dyebush

JK Marlow    jkm0310i_14

October    Haywood County    NC

Corneille Bryan Native Garden

image of Symplocos tinctoria, Horsesugar, Sweetleaf, Dyebush

Jean Askew    jas_0243

November    Greenville County    SC

Caesars Head State Park

Leaves dark green, almost blackish above by winter, tending to remain for much of the winter, per Vascular Plants of North Carolina.

image of Symplocos tinctoria, Horsesugar, Sweetleaf, Dyebush

Richard and Teresa Ware    rtw_symplocos_tinctoria

November        

image of Symplocos tinctoria, Horsesugar, Sweetleaf, Dyebush

Richard and Teresa Ware    rtw_symplocos_tinctoria_2

November        

image of Symplocos tinctoria, Horsesugar, Sweetleaf, Dyebush

JK Marlow    s071101_ab

November    Oconee County    SC

Sumter National Forest: Andrew Pickens Ranger District

Leaves somewhat sweet, but variable plant to plant/season to season, per Weakley's Flora.

image of Symplocos tinctoria, Horsesugar, Sweetleaf, Dyebush

Sharleen Johnson    shj_646577750550640

December    Charleston County    SC

Francis Marion National Forest

 

 

WEAKLEY'S FLORA OF THE SOUTHEASTERN US (4/14/23):
Symplocos tinctoria   FAMILY Symplocaceae

SYNONYMOUS WITH PLANTS NATIONAL DATABASE:
Symplocos tinctoria   FAMILY Symplocaceae

SYNONYMOUS WITH Flora of North America north of Mexico, vol. 8
Symplocos tinctoria

SYNONYMOUS WITH Floristic Synthesis of North America (Kartesz, 1999)
Symplocos tinctoria

SYNONYMOUS WITH VASCULAR FLORA OF THE CAROLINAS (Radford, Ahles, & Bell, 1968) 151-01-001:
Symplocos tinctoria   FAMILY Symplocaceae

SYNONYMOUS WITH Manual of the Southeastern Flora (Small, 1933, 1938)
Symplocos tinctoria

 

Find by SCIENTIFIC NAME:

1480

Shrub; Tree
Perennial

Habitat: Moist bottomland forests, pocosin edges, mesic forests, ridgetop pine and oak/pine forests, pine flatwoods, longleaf pine sandhills, per Weakley's Flora

Native to the Carolinas & Georgia

Common (uncommon in Piedmont)

map
CLICK HERE to see a map, notes, and images from Weakley's Flora of the Southeastern US.

LEAVES:
Tardily deciduous (semi-evergreen)
Simple
Alternate

FLOWER:
Spring
Creamy yellow
5-merous

FRUIT:
Summer/Fall
Green/Purplish
Drupe

 

TO LEARN MORE about this plant, look it up in a good book!



 


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