Black Gum Tree
Nyssa sylvatica
![Black Gum Tree in Summer and in Fall](https://txmg.org/hendersonmg/files/2024/02/Black-Gum-Tree-1-1024x635.jpg)
![Black Gum Tree Leaves, Fall Leaves, and Berries](https://txmg.org/hendersonmg/files/2024/02/Black-Gum-Tree-2-1024x483.jpg)
Characteristics
- Type: Tree
- Zone: 3 – 9
- Height: 30 – 50 Feet
- Spread: 20 – 30 Feet
- Bloom Time: May – June
- Bloom Description: Greenish White
- Sun: Full Sun – Part Shade
- Water: Medium – Wet
- Maintenance: Low
- Suggested Use: Shade Tree, Street Tree, Rain Garden
- Flower: Insignificant
- Leaf: Great Fall Color
- Attracts: Birds, Bees
- Tolerate: Clay Soil, Wet Soil, Black Walnut
Culture
Easily grown in average, medium to wet soils in full sun to part shade, the Black Gum Tree prefers moist, acidic soils. Tolerates poorly-drained soils and can grow in standing water. On the other end of the spectrum, tolerates some drought and adapts to some dryish soils, at least in the wild. Long taproot precludes moving established trees. Female trees need a male pollinator to set fruit. In East Texas, the Black Gum Tree is typically found in moist, well-drained soils, but also on dry slopes with a variety of oaks.
Noteworthy Characteristics
Nyssa sylvatica, commonly called Black Gum, Black Tupelo, or Sour Gum, is a slow-growing, deciduous, tree which occurs in a wide range of soils and native to the eastern United States-including parts of East Texas. A stately tree with a straight trunk and rounded crown (more pyramidal when young) that typically grows 30-50′ tall, but occasionally to 90′.
Primarily dioecious (separate male and female trees), but each tree often has some perfect flowers. Small, greenish-white flowers appear in spring on long stalks (female flowers in sparse clusters and male flowers in dense heads). Although flowers are not showy, they are an excellent nectar source for bees. Flowers give way to oval, 1/2″ long fruits which are technically edible but quite sour (hence the name Sour Gum). Fruits mature to a dark blue and are attractive to birds and wildlife. Obovate to elliptic, entire to slightly toothed leaves (2 to 6 inches long and 1 to 3 inches wide) are dark green on top and paler below. This tree is spectacular in the fall when leaves turn brilliant red, orange, and purple.
Black GumTree wood is known for its challenging characteristics: cross-grained, not durable when in contact with the soil, difficult to work with, and prone to warping. However, its toughness makes it a valuable material for various applications such as crossties, basket veneer, box boards, and paper pulp.
Problems
No serious insect or disease problems. Some susceptibility to leaf spots, canker, rust, leaf miner and scale.
Garden Uses
Excellent ornamental shade tree for lawns or street tree with striking fall color. Also grows well in moist woodland gardens or naturalized areas or in low spots subject to periodic flooding or in boggy areas. Although slow-growing, it still needs to be sited in an area which affords plenty of room for future growth, particularly since it is so difficult to transplant.
Courtesy of Texas A&M Forest Service