Scientific Name:
Nyssa sylvatica
Pronunciation:
NY-suh sil-VAT-ee-kuh
Common Name:
black gum
Family Name:
Nyssaceae
Plant Type:
Tree - deciduous
Key ID Features:
Leaves alternate, mostly elliptic to oblanceolate, margins entire (rarely toothed), about 10cm long x 4cm wide. Winter ID: Light green, chubby buds, rough lenticels, irregular growth habit often with drooping lower branches.
Habit:
Spreading
Form:
Oval - vertical, Pyramidal - widely
Texture:
Medium
Mature Height:
15 - 22m
Mature Spread:
7 - 10m
Growth Rate:
Moderate
Origin:
Canada - eastern, U.S. - northeast
Hardiness Rating:
Zone 5: (-29 to -23 °C)
Exposure:
Full sun, Part sun/part shade, Sheltered
Soil/Growing Medium:
Acidic, Well-drained
Landscape Uses:
Attract birds, Fall interest, Specimen plant
Additional Info:
Google. Cultivars shown may include N. 'Haymanred'
Leaf Morphology:
Form:
Simple
Arrangement:
Alternate
Texture/Venation:
Pinnate venation
Surfaces:
Glabrous, Glandular hairs
Colour in Summer:
Dark-green, hint of fall colour may appear on some leaves in summer
Colour in Fall:
Orange, Red
Shapes:
Elliptic, Obovate, Ovate
Apices:
Cuspidate
Bases:
Attenuate
Margins:
Dentate, Entire, Undulate (wavy)
Additional Info:
Spectacular fall colour, Underside downy when young; margins usually entire but rarely dentate
Inflorescence Type:
Flowers clustered
Flower Morphology:
Dioecious plant
Number Of Petals:
5
Corolla Shape:
Campanulate
Ovary Position:
Inferior
Colour (petals):
Not showy, Green-yellow
Flower Scent:
None
Flower Time at Peak:
Apr, May
Fruit Type:
Drupe
Fruit Colour:
Blue, Black
Fruiting Time:
Sep, Oct
Additional Info:
Fruit insignificant,
Bark Morphology:
Plated
Bark or Stem Colour:
Dark Grey, Brown, Black
Leaf Bud Type:
Ovoid
Leaf Scar Shape:
Crescent shaped
Propagation:
Seed, Softwood cuttings
Pest Susceptibility:
Dieback, Fungal leaf spot, Galls, Heart rot, Leaf miner insect, Mites, Rust, Scale insects (Pest resistant, Disease resistant)
Course(s):
- HORT 2355
Location(s):
- (BCE) Boulevard (Circular) Eastend : planted fall 2017
- (TFL) Turf Field Lab
- (TFLE) Turf Field Lab East