FNPS Plant Database

Nyssa sylvatica

black gum, tupelo
  • Photo by: Shirley Denton, Suncoast Chapter FNPS
  • Photo by: Shirley Denton, Suncoast Chapter FNPS

Nomenclature

Common Name:

black gum, tupelo

Synonym(s):

Genus species:

Nyssa sylvatica

Family:

Nyssaceae

Plant Specifics

Form:

tree

Size:

30-50 ft tall by 30-50 ft wide

Life Span:

Long-lived perennial

Flower Color:

Fruit Color:

Phenology:

Deciduous. Blooms in spring. Fruits ripen in fall.

Noted For:

Hurricane Wind Resistance, Fall Color

Landscaping

Recommended Uses:

Specimen tree where its sweeping branches and scarlet fall color can be appreciated. Shade tree.

Considerations:

Low branches are set at 90 degrees to the trunk and spread widely, so does not make a good street or lawn tree.

Availability:

Native Nurseries

Propagation:

Light:

Full Sun, Part Sun

Moisture Tolerance:

Always Flooded---------------------------------Extremely Dry

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Usually moist, occasional inundation -to- Not wet but not extremely dry

Salt Water Flooding Tolerance:

Unknown

Salt Spray/Salty Soil Tolerance:

Moderate. Tolerant of salty wind and may get some salt spray.

Soil or Other Substrate:

Sand, Clay, Loam

Soil pH:

Acidic

Suitable to Grow In:

8A,8B,9A,9B

USDA zones are based on the average annual extreme minimum winter temperature.

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Vouchered In:

Distribution
Vouchered
Not vouchered
Selected
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Starting…
Map coded by Melissa Fernandez-de Cespedes (Paynes Prairie Chapter)

Ecology

Wildlife:

Pollinators, Birds, Mammals

Bee pollinated.

Seeds are eaten by birds and small-to-medium-sized mammals.

Native Habitats:

Wooded areas, usually sandy, moist to dry.

Natural Range in Florida:

Comments:

Ethnobotany:

Tupelo honey is well-known for its unusual sweet taste. In the north, it's also know as the beetlebung tree, because its wood was used for barrel bungs (like corks to keep in the liquid, usually whale oil).

General Comments:

FNPS Plant Print

Citations:

Burns, Russell M., and Barbara H. Honkala [Technical coordinators]. (1990). Silvics of North America: Volume 2. Hardwoods. United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), Forest Service, Agriculture Handbook 654. ( https://www.fs.usda.gov/treesearch/pubs/1548 ). Accessed 2026.


Fox, Laurie, and Joel Koci. (2021). Trees and Shrubs that Tolerate Saline Conditions. ( https://www.pubs.ext.vt.edu/430/430-031/430-031.html ). Accessed 2026. Virginia Cooperative Extension, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA.


Huegel, Craig N. (2010). Native Plant Landscaping for Florida Wildlife. University Press of Florida, Gainesville.


Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center. (2025). Plant Database: Nyssa sylvatica (Tupelo). ( https://www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=nysy ). Accessed 2026. Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX.


Nelson, Gil. (2003). Florida's Best Landscape Plants: 200 Readily Available Species for Homeowners and Professionals. University Press of Florida, Gainesville.


Wunderlin, R. P., B. F. Hansen, A. R. Franck, and F. B. Essig. (1999+). Atlas of Florida Plants. ( https://florida.plantatlas.usf.edu/ ). [S. M. Landry and K. N. Campbell (application development), USF Water Institute.] Institute for Systematic Botany, University of South Florida, Tampa.

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