Scientific Name:
Nyssa sinensis
Pronunciation:
NISS-uh sye-NEN-siss
Common Name:
Chinese tupelo
Family Name:
Nyssaceae
Plant Type:
Tree - deciduous
Key ID Features:
Leaves alternate, most ellipitic, 11-15cm long x 3-5cm wide, leathery, lanceolate, with a very wavy margin and the entire leaf curls inward. Winter ID: twigs reddish-brown, 3-4mm wide; buds pubescent; terminal bud about twice a large as lateral buds; fallen leaves slow to decompose.
Habit:
Stiffly upright
Form:
Pyramidal - widely
Texture:
Coarse
Mature Height:
7 - 10m
Mature Spread:
7 - 10m
Growth Rate:
Moderate
Origin:
S.E. Asia / Japan / China (central China)
Hardiness Rating:
Zone 7: (-18 to -12 °C)
Exposure:
Full sun, Part sun/part shade
Soil/Growing Medium:
Acidic, Well-drained
Water Use:
Moderate
Landscape Uses:
Fall interest, Small garden/space, Specimen plant, Waterside planting
Additional Info:
Leaf Morphology:
Form:
Simple
Arrangement:
Alternate
Texture/Venation:
Leathery
Surfaces:
Glabrous
Colour in Summer:
Dark-green, new leaves bronze-red
Colour in Fall:
Orange, Red
Shapes:
Elliptic
Apices:
Acuminate
Bases:
Cuneate
Margins:
Entire, Undulate (wavy)
Additional Info:
Spectacular fall colour, some hairs on young leaves
Inflorescence Type:
Flowers clustered
Flower Morphology:
Dioecious plant
Number Of Petals:
5
Corolla Shape:
Campanulate
Ovary Position:
Inferior
Colour (petals):
Not showy, Green-yellow, Green
Flower Time at Peak:
Jun, Jul
Additional Info:
Primarily dioecious (campus specimen mostly form male florets but the odd fruit has been observed)
Fruit Type:
Drupe
Fruit Colour:
Blue
Fruiting Time:
Aug, Sep
Bark Morphology:
Multi-stem trunk, Single stem trunk
Bark or Stem Colour:
Dark Grey, Brown
Leaf Bud Type:
Conical (long-pointed), Ovoid, Scales 4-ranked
Leaf Scar Shape:
Crescent shaped
Propagation:
Seed, Greenwood cuttings, Softwood cuttings
Pest Susceptibility:
Canker or sap rot, Dieback, Galls, Heart rot, Leaf miner insect, Scale insects (Pest resistant, Disease resistant, Drought tolerant)
Course(s):
- not used (on campus)
Location(s):
- (TFL) Turf Field Lab
- (TFLN) Turf Field Lab North : male with some perfect florets