Black Gum
(Wide and Flat: Alternate Arrangement) |
| Also called Black tupelo, this is usually a medium sized tree,
to 40' in height on dry slopes and ridge tops, but it can reach 100' and 5' in
diameter in moist areas along streams. Most common in the southeast and southcentral
portions of the state it is rarer in the northern tier counties. The wood is difficult
to split and is used for boxes, fuel and railroad ties. The fruits, twigs and
foliage provide food for many birds and animals. The brilliant red autumn color
and abundant blue fruit make this species an interesting ornamental planting. |
Nyssa sylvatica Marshall
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| Leaves |
| Alternate, simple, 2"-5" long, oval with entire
and slightly thickened margins, dark green and shiny above, often downy beneath,
turning vivid red in early autumn. |
| Twigs |
| Smooth grayish to reddish brown, pith white and chambered,
buds round, pointed and reddish brown, ¼" long. |
| Fruit |
| A dark blue berry, 1/3"-2/3" long, 1-seeded with
thin flesh, borne singly or 2-3 in a cluster, ripening in autumn. |
| Bark |
| Grayish, smooth to scaly, darker gray, thick and fissured
into quadrangular blocks forming what is called "alligator bark" on
very old trunks. |
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