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. |
| 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. |
| This is oddly shaped object is a gall, not a fruit. 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
All photographs and text ©2010 by Will Cook unless otherwise indicated.