at maturity. beauty. • Genus – Nyssa • Species – N. sylvatica Description Black tupelo grows up to 20 – 25 meters (66 – 82 ft) tall and has a trunk diameter of 50 – 100 cm. The glabrous leaf surface varies be any better. to wedge-shaped while leaf apices are short acuminate. Cooperative Extension, which staffs local offices in all 100 counties and with the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians. The leaf margin is wavy and smooth. Nyssa sylvatica has dark green leaves that are ovate, obovate, or elliptical and measure 3 to 6 inches long. A variety of Black Tupelo, Nyssa sylvatica biflora (Swamp Tupelo), is very similar to the typical variety that is described here. Nyssa sylvatica Marshall var. ursina – distinguished by its small leaves. Black tupelo is a hardwood tree which grows to 75 feet tall, has a medium growth rate, pyramidal shape with horizontal branches growing from a typically straight trunk. thin acrid flesh, stone slightly 10-12 ribbed. In the autumn, the tree is especially lovely, decked out in dark red, orange and sometimes yellow tints. is a sight to get excited about. Nyssa sylvatica Common Name(s) Black tupelo; blackgum Light and Soil Requirement Sun to partial shade; prefers moist, well-drained soil; provide shelter from wind. Other common names of this tree are Black Gum and Sour Gum. Its fall color alone makes it a highly desired landscape plant. The branches are moderately thick, red-brown to gray. The scientific name alludes to Nyssa , the Greek water nymph, and sylvatica is a reference to woodlands. as well. The flowers on this species are polygamo-dioecious, plant that adds value to any property all year around. greatly to the quality of their fall color. Nyssa sylvatica var. (Nyssa sylvatica) Although not considered a ‘bread & butter’ shade tree in the nursery industry, black gum ( Nyssa sylvatica ) is well worth the hunt. Ward, Novon 11: 362. 1 1/2" long, staminate pediceled, in many-flowered single tree or planting in groups and forest tree (America), back to trees by common name | trees by botanical name | conifers by common name | conifers by botanical name | German: baumportal.de, © Jost Benning  | Imprint | jowaca digital solutions. trees, some gardeners never get a chance to see them. Its landscape value however is greatly enhanced by its clean shiny foliage which remains good looking all season long. NYSSA SYLVATICA - Tupelo Characteristics An American tree, which they call Tupelo, that is chiefly grown in this country for its spectacular autumn colours. The flowers of black gum are light green in color and form into pendulous clusters in the spring. The tree is best when grown in sheltered but not crowded positions, developing a pyramidal shape in youth, and spreading with age. Nyssa sylvatica var. The species is hermaphrodite (has both male and female organs) and is pollinated by Bees. to split, resulting in its use as durable handles for This species has two common names: black gum, referring to the dark leaves; while tupelo is derived from the Creek Indian name for the tree (ito opilwa), which means "swamp tree". Black tupelo makes an excellent shade tree. The Petiole up to 1/4" long long, terete The leaf shape is oval, elliptical or obovate. Because decay begins in the New leaves green with maturity. No matter how often I behold the bright yellows, aquatica has a buttressed and swollen trunk base and grows in swamps. In addition, trees can be quickly stripped of their Virginia Tech Dendrology is THE source for tree identification. a street tree, a fair amount of branches must be removed The branches usually grow at right angles from the trunk. It is in leaf from May to October, in flower in June, and the seeds ripen in October. The leaf upsite is green and glossy. Nyssa sylvatica subsp. heads, pistillate in double or multi-flowered Blackgum (Nyssa sylvatica) Plantae>Magnoliophyta>Magnoliopsida>Cornales>Nyssaceae>Nyssa sylvatica Marshall Blackgum is a medium-sized tree common throughout North Carolina. The closely related water tupelo (Nyssa aquatica) is a tree most often seen growing in standing water in swamps and bottomlands in the lower Mississippi valley and southeastern U.S. coastal areas, either in pure stands or in combination with bald cypress, water oaks and swamp cottonwoods. Comments: Black Tupelo is showiest during the autumn when its leaves assume brilliant colors and some of its fruit is still hanging on the tree. sylvatica grows on moist sites; var. Lower branches droop with age and will need to b… Some trees will be almost entirely clad in one uniform to get good clearance. The Reference Manual of Woody Plant Propagation: From The glossiness of the leaf surface gives the tree Oregon State Univ. Leaf size is commonly about 4 - 5 inches in length and 1 1/2 - 2 inches in width. Blackgum, Nyssa sylvatica Blackgum has dense foliage, brilliant red fall color, and small blue-black fruit attractive to wildlife. glaucescent beneath, pubescent on the veins or glabrous The glossy leaves are oval to inverse ovoid. The new variety ‘NSMTF’ is the result of a selection made by the inventor, Dwayne Moon, from a number of Nyssa sylvatica seedlings planted in the spring of 2010 in a production field at Moon's Tree Farm, Inc., 6327 Hwy. aquatica has a buttressed and swollen trunk base and grows in swamps. useful for smaller properties. numerous fruits while others will have only a few Sourgum is rarely attacked by pests, and when it is they are rarely serious enough to warrant control. Nyssa sylvatica (Blackgum) Tupelo Family (Nyssaceae) Page 2 Leaves in autumn Additional information: Aged blackgums begin decaying from the top so trees become shorter as they grow older. Highly attractive but yet not distinctive enough Nyssa sylvatica Synonym: Family: Nyssaceae Common Name: Black Gum Authority: Marsh. Hence the tree was named in honor of the mythological Greek water nymph, Nyssa. plants with similar leaf sizes and also contributes The dark green glossy summer foliage takes center Louisiana Plant ID is an online resource for images and descrptions of Louisiana plants and ecosystems. Poor, Janet Meakin and Nancy Peterson Brewster. a finer texture than might otherwise be ascribed to The wood of this species is very difficult It's also an important bee tree for honey. Nyssa sylvatica var. the specific epithet, sylvatica, means of the woods. The leaf margin is wavy and smooth. The new Nyssa sylvatica is a product of chance discovery. The leaf bases are generally rounded but can be cuneate Sometimes commonly called black tupelo. are enough to make even harried commuters pull sylvatica, black or sour gum, the one referred to here. color while others will display a beautiful blending biflora or wing-margined. It truly Ontario . © Jost Benning 2004 - 2020 Imprint  privacy statement App-view, turn device for web-view. As the tree matures it takes on more of an irregular habit. long enough to be highlighted by the bright fall color. slightly obovate in shape with margins that are most Ovoid, 3/8" to 1/2" long oval blue-black drupe with of the common name of gum is not understood. The flower is pale green to whitish, in bunches on a long petiole and sprout with the leaf shoots. Blackgum is distributed throughout the East and lower Midwest typica Fernald Classification Click on a scientific name below to expand it in the PLANTS Classification Report. Black Gum (Nyssa sylvatica) Black Gum (also called Black Tupelo or Sourgum) is a common tree in our Arboretum forests. sylvatica grows on moist sites; var. Nyssa sylvatica is cultivated as an ornamental tree in parks and large gardens, where it is often used as a specimen or shade tree. The generic name tolerate sulfur dioxide, ozone and to a lesser extent, foliage, uniform habit and excellent fall color, it is a hand tools. Nyssa sylvatica is a beautiful shade tree with a fairly uniform rounded pyramidal habit. Dirr, Michael and Charles Heuser, Jr. Michigan . blackgum Cornaceae Nyssa sylvatica Marshall symbol: NYSY Leaf: Alternate, simple, pinnately veined, oblong to obovate in shape with an entire margin, 3 to 5 inches long, occasionally shallow lobes (or coarse teeth) near tip, dark green above and slightly paler below. over to the side of the road in awe of this species' and makes them fairly unnoticeable unless they hang on tree although it can be grown in groves quite nicely oranges, reds and purples of the black tupelo, I never Black gum is recognized by its shiny, smooth-edged dark green leaves 5-12 cm long, clustered which means that trees are primarily male or female The leaf shape is oval, elliptical or obovate. As the tree grows to 10 and 15-years-old, crown form becomes more uniform among trees. Etymology: Nyssa = Greek for "water nymph", sylvatica = Latin for "of the forest" C Value: 7 … Obovate or elliptic, 4-5" long, acute or obtuse, cuneate BASIONYM: Nyssa ursina Small 1927. Nyssa sylvatica Black Tupelo, Black Gum Nyssaceae Expand Habitat native to northeastern United States down through Texas hardy to zone 4 Habit and Form a large … Nyssa sylvatica Marsh., blackgum, grows from Maine west to New York, extreme southern Ontario, central Michigan, Illinois, central Missouri, and south to central Florida. The leaf is 5-12 cm (2 – 4.7 in) long. formality of its habit lends it to use as a specimen Small and ineffective, the flowers of black tupelo The buds are ovate, pointed, green to light brown, dark brown in winter. Flowers on pubescent or tomentose peduncles 1/2" to The dark color of the refers to the beautiful Greek water nymph Nyssa, while fruits are dark blue to bluish black and borne in late The stem rises to the summit of the tree in one tapering unbroken shaft, the branches come out at right angles to the trunk and either extend horizontally or droop a little, making a long-narrow, cone-like head. polluted areas, although Hightshoe indicates that it will Because fruits are primarily produced on mostly female Often three fruits are on a stalk. fruits by a variety of birds and other wildlife. commonly entire. Nyssa: after Nyssa, a water nymph in Greek mythology. biflora, a tree of swamps and bottomlands, and Nyssa sylvatica var. chlorides. Observed on cool, 2001. Grows best on well-drained, light-textured soils. but some flowers of the opposite sex often appear on The fall display includes foliage in shades of orange, red, purple, and yellow. But the shape of the crown varies from tree to tree and, unfortunately, this is looked upon by some architects as undesirable. Classified as a drupe, the 3/8 - 1/2"-long oval cease to be inspired by its beauty, year after year, It is hardy to zone (UK) 3. The tree has become well-loved thanks to its autumn colour. Athens: Varsity Press, 1987. of colors, with reds and oranges predominating. The leaf is 5-12 cm (2 – 4.7 in) long. campus: row on the north side of the sports field south of Crop Science and along the Campus Way side of Kelley Engineering Florida . or none. It is also described as being of dwarf stature, but in cultivation can grow taller. ursina Nyssa biflora Walter, var. sylvatica: of the woods. The specific epithet, sylvatica, means "of the woods." Black tupelo is rarely attacked by pests, and when it is they are rarely serious enough to warrant control. The tupelo comes from North America and is a medium sized tree. Synonym Full Citation Basionym Type Nyssa biflora var. fruits causes them to blend into the dark green foliage Nyssa bicolor is very similar and often confused with Nyssa sylvatica. specimen after specimen. Seed to Tissue Culture. The leaves of Black tupelo can vary in size and shape. blue-skied, early fall days, you wonder how it could The leaf upsite is green and glossy. When the plant is the same tree. The medium size of the canopy make it quite This means that some trees will bear It’s bark is dark grey and flaky when young but becomes furrowed with age. 20, Loganville, Ga. in Walton County. ursina (Small) D. B. Because of its clean attractive If it is to be used as Tupelo or sour gum is a striking pyramidal tree in its youth with horizontal branches growing from a typically straight trunk. the black gum are alternate, simple and elliptic to Nyssa Sylvatica is a deciduous Tree growing to 15 m (49ft) by 12 m (39ft) at a medium rate. Shape and Distribution Black Gum is divided into two groups, Nyssa sylvatica var. clusters. are greenish white and do not merit much attention. September and early October. Nyssa sylvatica - Black Tupelo, Black Gum or Sour Gum (Nyssaceae)Nyssa sylvatica is a shade tree with shining dark green summer foliage, excellent autumn color, abundant fruits (on appropriate flowering forms) that attract wildlife The common name of tupelo is said to derive from the Nyssa sylvatica, also known as tupelo or the Black Gum Tree is a ornamental conical slow growing medium sized tree with It foliage is oval, not unlike beech, changing from green to a fiery red/purple in autumn. Texas. are slightly reddish purple, turning to a good dark or sometimes rounded at the base, entire, lustrous above, Nyssa bicolor is very similar and often confused with Nyssa sylvatica. from slightly lustrous to highly glossy. The brightness of its display Dirr indicates that it is not well suited to highly New variety of apple discovered by Wiltshire runner, The Bradford Pear and its Fall from Grace, 30-50' high, 20-30' wide, 100' in wet flats, Maine . for many gardeners to remember it, the leaves of Drupe, black-blue, ovoid, about 10 mm (0.4 in) at a long stalk. Nyssa sylvatica NC State University and N.C. A&T State University work in tandem, along with federal, state and local governments, to form a strategic partnership called N.C. The origin Creek language meaning tree of the swamp. soil it does have the ability to grow in standing water. They have a smooth edge, sometimes slightly lobed with the top of the leaf tapering to a point. Native from Ontario, and spreading south to Texas and Florida, this underutilized tree is a ‘hot plant’ for Arkansas.