sourwood, Oxydendrum arboreum

These look a lot like an array of blueberry flowers. The rest of the plant does not look like blueberry. The leaves are much larger, and are very sour. The plant itself is a tree up to 60 feet tall. So to get in the spirit of things, we're looking up at the flowers. The Catawba and Cherokee people used an infusion of sourwood for several medicinal needs. The flowers have been used to make sweet preserves, more by pioneers than by the Indians. Sourwood grows in acid soil in AL, AR, FL, GA, IL, IN(T), KY, LA, MD(E), MS, NC, NY, OH, PA, RI, SC, TN, VA, and WV. Monongalia Co WV, 7/16/15.