Bark.—Roughened by narrow, thin scales which peel off, exposing brownish inner bark.
Wood.—Heavy, hard, strong, rather brittle, reddish-brown with lighter sapwood.
Range.—New Brunswick, south to Florida and west to Arkansas.
Distribution in West Virginia.—Found locally in all parts of the State.
Habitat.—Growing usually in thickets, sometimes with Great Laurel, on high mountain flats and rocky slopes. Common on thin hillsides.
Notes.—Mountain Laurel does not grow large enough to be of much importance as a wood producer. Occasionally small articles, such as bucket handles, penholders, pipes, etc. are made from it. Its rich evergreen foliage and its copious pink and white flowers are scarcely less attractive than those of Rhododendron Maximum.
SOURWOOD
Oxydendrum arboreum, (L.) D. C.