sweetleaf
9.9
A small tree with white fragrant flowers whose leaves make yellow dye
- noun
- /ˈswitˌliːf/
- US
:
hoja dulce
- Also flowering in April is the sweetleaf, or horse sugar tree, with its inch-round clusters of fuzzy, pale yellow flowers.
Examples
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In addition to its beautiful flowers, the sweetleaf provides leaves that can be used to create a natural yellow dye.
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Native to the southern United States, the sweetleaf tree is often found in warm, humid environments where it thrives.
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The sweetleaf is admired for its small fragrant white flowers, which bloom in clusters during spring.
Synonyms
9.9
A small yellowwood tree from the southern United States with white sweet-smelling flowers whose bark makes a yellow dye
is the everyday common name rather than the Latin form
Compounds
Surface Forms
sweetleaf singular
sweetleaves plural
Etymology
Sweetleaf is a simple joining of sweet ('pleasant' or 'tasting nice') and leaf ('the flat green part of a plant'). It was used for a small tree from the southern United States because its leaves smell sweet and its leaves and bark make a yellow dye, so the name tells you what the plant is like.
