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Black Gum

Nyssa sylvatica

 Container
Size*		 Tree 
Price 		  Optional
Planting
Fee**

  At A Glance   15 gallon $  100.00 $ 60.00

 * Subject to grower availability
Height / Width: 30 to 60-feet / 30-feet   30 gallon $  200.00  $100.00  ** Does not include tax and delivery
Bloom Time: Early Spring   45 gallon $  350.00 $175.00
Soil Type: Sand; Loam; Clay; Well-drained; Moist; Acid   65 gallon $  550.00  $275.00
Light: Sun - Partial Shade 100 gallon $  800.00  $400.00
Grower Notes: 200 gallon $1600.00 $800.00

Black Gum is one of our most consistently beautiful trees in autumn. It doesn't seem to need cold to trigger its fall color - the leaves turn color early, sometimes in August, changing from brilliant yellow to orange to scarlet to purple.  The leaves are so thin that the tree seems to glow in the autumn sun.

During winter its clusters of shiny blue to black fruit are eaten by many species of birds and wildlife.

Black Gum is native to the swamps and sandy woodlands of East Texas, and ranges from Maine to the Mexican Gulf coast. It does well in gumbo or at the edge of a water garden. It is strongly tap-rooted and can do well on moderately dry soils with reasonable care.

It is slow-growing and fairly small, taking a couple of decades to reach its mature height and width in order to become a shade tree; although that can be accelerated with adequate fertility and moisture.

Generally, you will need to think of it as an ornamental tree, but not an understory one - it likes lots of sun.

Black Gum is also known by its other common names: Black Tupelo, Pepperidge, Sour Gum, Tupelo, and Tupelo Gum.