Black Gum
Black Gum (Nyssa sylvatica) – The Black Gum tree is a hardwood in the tupelo family which may grow up to 75-80 feet tall. Amazingly, these trees live beyond 400 years. The general distribution of black gums is from southwestern Maine, west to Ontario, New York, Michigan, Illinois and Missouri, and south to Florida. The black gum is noted for its outstanding and consistant fall red color. Its wood, which is very strong, was used in colonial times for water pipes and ox yokes. Today it is used for flooring, rollers in glass factories, pistol grips, veneers, railroad ties, and furniture.

Black gum trees, like the Atlantic white cedar, prefer the acid content of swamps. Other constituents of swamps where black gum trees are located often include red maple, yellow birch and white pine, as well as a variety of shrubs and ferns. While the branches of the black gum tree grow generally perpendicular to the trunk, they lack symmetry in their arrangement. The tree bark ranges from reddish brown to steel gray. As the tree ages, the bark develops deep irregular ridges and diamon shaped plates that resemble the scales of an alligator.

In the fall, the leaves of the black gum are among the first to change color. They assume a glossy, brilliant red color. Because the leaves are thin enough to let light shine through, the tree appears to glow red.
 

Summary

Foilage: Alternate, simple, pinnately veined, oblong to obovate in shape, 3-5 inches long
Flower / Fruit: Flower is not showy, hangs in clusters and appears with the leaves; Fruit is a dark, purplish Blue drupe, ½ inch long, ripens in late summer and fall
Growth Rate: Slow to medium growth rate
Height: 30 to 80 feet
Spread: 30-50 feet
Zone: 3 to 9
Light: Partial shade to full sun
Soil Type: Grows in both dry upland sites and or moist and wet sites where other trees don’t grow
Comments: Female trees produce a small blue fruit that birds relish

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