Nyssaceae
Click to hear the
pronunciation.
Distribution
Blackgum family
Family with 5 genera about 100 species
Distributed worldwide, mostly in temperate
area, but some tropical and subtropical.
Important members
Nyssa – Tupelo
Davidia – Dovetree
Nyssaceae
Nyssa sylvatica – Blackgum
Black gum or tupelo is an
exceptional native tree that can
be used as a specimen tree,
street tree or in naturalized
areas.
Trees have a glossy summer
foliage and brilliant red fall color.
Native from Maine to Florida,
west to Texas, including
Kentucky.
The genus name refers to
“Nyssa”, one of the water nymphs
from Greek mythology who
nursed the god Dionysis back to
health.
Click to hear the
pronunciation.
Nyssaceae
Nyssa sylvatica – Blackgum
Growth habit – Some plants have a
strong central leader and have a
pyramidal shape. Others show less
apical dominance and have a
rounded crown.
Tree size – Tree size is between 40
and 50 feet, but can reach over 100
feet tall.
Nyssaceae
Nyssa sylvatica – Blackgum
Individual trees can have either an upright pyramidal form or have a
distinctly rounded form with drooping branches.
Nyssaceae
Nyssa sylvatica – Blackgum
Flowers – Small, non-showy, greenish-white male and female flowers are
produced on separate plants as the leaves emerge in the spring. Female flowers
are on extended peduncles. Males are produced in a many-flowered cluster.
Female flowers
Male flowers
Nyssaceae
Nyssa sylvatica – Blackgum
Females flowers are produced with
up to 4 flowers per clusters. The
style elongates from the center of
each flower and the style is
recurved.
Female flowers
Male flowers are produced in
many-flowered umbel-like
head. Each flower has 5 petals
and stamens inserted into a
central disk.
Male flowers
Nyssaceae
Nyssa sylvatica – Blackgum
Fruit – Fruits are a blue-black drupe
with a calyx scar at the tip of the
fruit.
Nyssaceae
Nyssa sylvatica – Blackgum
Leaf – Simple,
elliptically -shaped
leaves are alternate
on the stem.
Summer color is a
lustrous green.
Nyssaceae
Nyssa sylvatica – Blackgum
Leaf – Autumn color is a brilliant glossy red.
Nyssaceae
Nyssa sylvatica – Blackgum
Buds – Winter buds with imbricate (overlapping)
scales. There are three leaf traces in the leaf scar.
Leaf scar
Nyssaceae
Nyssa sylvatica – Blackgum
Culture:
Full sun.
Prefers a moist, welldrained soil that is slightly
acid.
Blackgum can be difficult to
transplant and it may be
best to obtain container
grown plants.
Nyssaceae
Nyssa sylvatica – Blackgum
Culture:
Leaf spot and foliar disease
are common problems that can
disfigure plants.
Nyssaceae
Nyssa sylvatica – Blackgum
Cultivars:
‘Haymens’ is an upright growing tree with a
strong central leader and clean foliage.
Trees have very good fall color.
Nyssaceae
Nyssa sylvatica – Blackgum
Cultivars:
‘Wild Fire’ is an interesting cultivar
where the new emerging leaves are
bright red.
Nyssaceae
Nyssa sylvatica – Blackgum
Cultivars:
‘Pendula’ is available as a group of
selections that are weeping with
pendulous branches.
Nyssaceae
Nyssa sylvatica – Blackgum
Cultivars:
‘Zydeco Twist’ is a unique
cultivar with twisted branches.
Nyssaceae
Nyssa aquatica – Water tupelo
Related species:
Water tupelo is a southeastern
North American relative to
black gum that grows in swampy
locations alongside bald cypress
(Taxodium).
Trees can reach 80 feet tall
and are hardy in zones 9 to 6.
Click to hear the
pronunciation.
Nyssaceae
Nyssa sinensis – Chinese tupelo
Related species:
Chinese tupelo is native to China and
can grow to 40 feet tall. Leaves are
more pubescent that N. sylvatica.
Not commonly available commercially.
Hardy in zones 9 to 6.
Click to hear the
pronunciation.
Nyssaceae
Davidia involucrata – Dovetree
Related species:
Dovetree is an exceptional
small tree that makes a
wonderful specimen tree for
residential as well as larger
landscapes.
Native to China and hardy in
zones 7 to 5.
The genus name commemorates
Armand David, a French Jesuit
missionary who was one of the
first plant collectors in China in
the 1860’s.
Click to hear the
pronunciation.
Nyssaceae
Davidia involucrata – Dovetree
Growth habit – Trees with a
strong central leader and a
pyramidal habit when young
growing to an irregular
rounded shape with age.
Tree size – Tree size grow to
20 and 40 feet with an equal
spread.
Nyssaceae
Davidia involucrata – Dovetree
Flowers – The flowers are produced in
clusters between two showy asymmetrical
white bracts that give the appearance of
many handkerchiefs hanging in the tree.
Nyssaceae
Davidia involucrata – Dovetree
Flowers – Dovetree is andro-monoecious producing all male and bisexual
(male and female) flowers on the same tree in globose heads.
Male flowers
Bisexual flowers
Stigma
Stamens
Stamens
Nyssaceae
Davidia involucrata – Dovetree
Fruit – A single fruit is produced on a
long pedicel. Fruit is an ovoid green
drupe with reddish speckles.
Nyssaceae
Davidia involucrata – Dovetree
Leaf – Simple, ovate-shaped leaves
are alternate with a serrate leaf
margin and up to to 5 inches long.
No significant autumn color.
Nyssaceae
Davidia involucrata – Dovetree
Culture:
Trees do best in partial
shade, but will tolerate full
sun where summers are not
too hot.
Prefers a moist, welldrained soil that is slightly
acid.
Trees can be difficult to
establish and suffer during
drought conditions.
Nyssaceae
Davidia involucrata – Dovetree
Cultivars:
The common trees in cultivation
are from the botanical variety
vilmoriniana derived from the
original China collection in 1897.
‘Sonoma’ is a clonal selection
with very large bracts up to 10
inches in length. Since these are
grafted plants, they start
producing flowers as a small
tree.