Tupelo Black Gum Tree Bark

Yellow gum is not a swamp tree like black gum but an inhabitant of dry land hills and the coves of the southern appalachians which it ascends to 3500 feet.

Tupelo black gum tree bark. The trees typically reach 9 15 metres 30 50 feet or more in height. The black tupelo is also known as the blackgum sourgum or pepperidge tree. The branches usually grow at right angles from the trunk. The leaf shape is oval elliptical or obovate.

Summer leaves are a dark green with a high gloss appearance but the most spectacular part of this tree is the fall foliage with many shades of yellow orange bright red purple or scarlet that may appear on the same branch. Black gum black gum or black tupelo nyssa sylvatica with autumn foliage. Nyssa sylvatica commonly known as tupelo black tupelo black gum or sour gum. The leaves of black tupelo can vary in size and shape.

As the tree ages its distinctive bark can resemble alligator hide. The names used for this tree are black gum sourgum yellow gum black tupelo cotton gum tupelo gum pepperidge swamp tupelo swamp black gum sour gum or tupelo. The leaf upsite is green and glossy. When combined with the several other tupelo species these trees have the distinction of being favorites with honey producers.

Black tupelo black gum nyssa sylvatica one of the most attractive native trees around. On martha s vineyard in massachusetts this species is called beetlebung perhaps for its use in making the mallet known as a beetle used for. The flowers of black gum are light green in color and form into pendulous clusters in the spring. A tree of many monikers the black tupelo is also known in various areas as a gum tree sour gum bowl gum yellow gum or tupelo gum.

The fall display includes foliage in shades of orange red purple and yellow. It foliage is oval not unlike beech changing from green to a fiery red purple in autumn. Nyssa sylvatica also known as tupelo or the black gum tree is a ornamental conical slow growing medium sized tree with horizontal branches. Still others call it beetlebung stinkwood wild peartree or pepperidge.

It has a straight trunk and the bark is very scaly and gray. The leaf is 5 12 cm 2 4 7 in long. It s bark is dark grey and flaky when young but becomes furrowed with age. In the autumn the black tupelo displays a range of brilliant orange red and purple fall color.

Black tupelo grows up to 20 25 meters 66 82 ft tall and has a trunk diameter of 50 100 cm.