Sour Gum Black Gum Black Tupelo

Nyssa sylvatica (Nyssaceae) is a deciduous tree native to eastern North America from Maine and Ontario to Florida and Texas. It grows 30 to 50 feet tall and 39 feet wide, forming a pyramidal shape in youth that becomes rounded and irregular with age. The glossy, variable leaves (ovate, obovate, or elliptic) produce one of the most reliable and brilliant red fall color displays of any temperate tree. Small greenish-yellow flowers give way to blue-black drupes (12 mm) on female trees.

Black tupelo prefers part shade on moist, acidic soil and tolerates wet conditions. It is difficult to transplant due to a deep taproot, so young container-grown stock succeeds best. Drought tolerance is low. The species is dioecious: female trees require a nearby male for fruit production. The fruit is an important food source for migratory birds and wildlife. Trees are very long-lived, with specimens exceeding 650 years. Growth is slow. Hardy in Zones 3a to 8b.