Chinese Tupelo Nyssa sinensis

Chinese Tupelo is a flowering tree with a straight trunk and rounded crown typically grown for its foliage and native to Asia. At maturity, it can reach 30 to 50 feet in height, but it can take 10 years to reach half that. It is a member of the Gum Tree family and is sometimes included in the dogwood family. In spring the new leaves emerge as a bronze-purple, turn green during the growing season and are orange, yellow and red in autumn. The flowers are small and white and also appear in spring. The tree grows well in marginal soils that are too wet for most other tree species. The blue fruits can be a little messy in the fall. The genus name comes from Nysa or Nyssa, one of the water nymphs.

Chinese Tupelo does best in full sun or partial shade and moist conditions. It prefers acidic soils, but tolerates a variety of soil types. It has a long taproot, which would preclude moving established trees. Female trees need a male pollinator to set fruit.

Chinese Tupelo adapts well to problematic soil and produces spectacular fall color. It can be a very ornamental plant in difficult or wet sites. The tree needs little pruning, except for lower branches that can droop as the tree grows.

Chinese Tupelo is known in cultivation as a more compact version of its relative N. sylvatica (the black tupelo) with better disease resistance. Both plants, originating from swamps and wetlands, require moist conditions.

Diseases, Insect Pests, and Other Plant Problems:

No known diseases or insect pests. Susceptible to leaf spots, canker, rust, leaf miner and scale.