Black Gum Nyssa sylvatica

Black gum or black tupelo is a medium-sized, native deciduous tree in the Nyssaceae family. Growing throughout North Carolina in dry upland forests, occasionally in bottomlands, savannas, swamp margins, and upland depressions that are occasionally flooded. It can also be found in the hills and mountains on dry slopes with oaks and hickories. The black gum is grown as an ornamental for its beautiful, scarlet red, fall color and for its shiny, dark green leaves in the summer. 

Its native range includes southern Ontario to the Central and Eastern United States, and Mexico. In the mountains of North Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, and Georgia, it has been recently found that a number of the black gum trees have been dying. There was evidence of leaf spots and cankers, but the cause has not been determined.

The genus name, Nyssa, is derived from the word Nyssa or Nysa and refers to a water nymph from Greek mythology. The specific epithet, sylvatica, means "of the woods."

The black gum reaches a mature size of 40 to 70 feet tall but typically reaches 20 to 30 feet in cultivation. Trunk diameter is typically 1 to 2 feet but can reach 4 to 5 feet in taller specimens.  The tree prefers average, medium to wet soils in full sun. It prefers moist, acidic soils, but is adaptive and tolerates poorly-drained soils and standing water, some drought, and some dry soils, at least in the wild. It tolerates many soil types and moisture conditions, but is slow-growing, reaching about 12 to 15 feet in about ten years, growing faster with a good watering and fertilizer schedule

It has a flowering habit that is dioecious, meaning a male and female tree are required to produce fruit. However, some plants have mostly male flowers while others have mostly female flowers, with most plants having a few perfect flowers. This would account for some plants being loaded with egg-shaped blue-black berries, while others may only have a few berries. Female trees need a male pollinator to set fruit. The nectar from the flowers is sought after by bees and tupelo honey is highly prized.

This tree is an excellent choice to support wildlife in the landscape. However, it should be sited in a permanent location because its long taproot makes it difficult to transplant later. It is tolerant of drought, heat, dry, and wet soils, and is moderately salt tolerant, but it is intolerant to alkaline soils. It withstands wind, ice, and salt spray in coastal locations.  

Black gum is a good street tree, specimen, and shade tree. The spectacular fall foliage color will add interest to your landscape.

Seasons of Interest:

Bloom:  Late Spring to Summer                  Foliage:  Spring, Summer, and Fall        Fruits: Late Summer to Fall

Quick ID Hints:

• deeply furrowed bark
• leaf shape elliptic to obovate, dark green upper surface, pale green undersides
• brilliant fall foliage colors of yellow, orange, purple, and red
• entire margins to Irregular coarse teeth near the tips of some leaves
• branches held more or less 90 degrees to the main stem
• bluish-black drupes from September to October
• chambered pith
• vascular bundles in the leaf scar

Insects, Diseases, or Other Plant Problems:  Leaf miners and scale are occasional insect pests.  It has some susceptibility to leaf spots, cankers, and rust.

Key to Nyssa

VIDEO created by Grant L. Thompson for “Trees, Shrubs, and Woody Vines for Landscaping” a plant identification course offered by the Department of Horticulture at Iowa State University.