Description
Black Gum is native to most of the eastern United States from the Mississippi river east to mid Florida, north to Massachusetts. It is a great ornamental tree of pyramidal shape and beautiful green leaves. A great specimen tree. Leaves will turn brilliant orange and red in the fall to contrast with bright blue small fruit which can hang in thru November. The flowers May to June with long slender pendicules. The fruit is 1/2″ long, blue-black ripens in the fall and is eaten by many birds and mammals. Bark is rough, dark gray, broken into many-sided plates and deeply furrowed. The twigs on a black gum are greenish or light brown, smooth or often downy. The buds are 1/4″ long and dark red. The wood is heavy, soft, strong, very tough, difficult to split, not durable in contact with the soil, pale yellow with thick whitish sapwood. The wood of a tupelo is used for mauls, pulleys and woodenware. Black Gum will grow in wet soil. Black Gum grow to 50′ in height and a spread of 30′. Hardy from zone 4-9. It is a slow to medium grower and can grow a foot a year. The tree can be difficult to transplant in caliper sizes because of the taproot. Our rootbags simplify the moving task as the bag contains the taproot and as much as 90% of the trees root in the bag. Pests: Scales and forest tent caterpillar can cause problems. Diseases of Black Gum, several fungi cause cankers and leaf spots. Black Gum prefers moist, well drained acid soils but is found even on dry hill tops. Sweet Gum prefers full sun to partial shade. Native from Maine to Michigan to Texas and Florida. It is found as far north as Manistee in the lower peninsula of Michigan. Other local names for Black Gum are sour gum, black tupelo, pepperidge and the name tupelo is native American for swamp tree.
Scientific Name: Nyssa syvatica
Zone: 3-9
Mature Height: 30-50 ft
Mature Width: 20-30 ft
Fruit: Thick skinned dark purple fruit
Flowers: Inconspicuous
Bloom Time: Spring
Growth Rate: Medium (12” – 24” per year)
Soil: Does best with acidic, moist, well-drained
Drought Tolerance: Good
Flood Tolerance: Good
Fall Color: Brilliant scarlet
Wildlife Value: Browse for deer, berries are eaten by mammals and birds.
