// SPECIES PROFILE · TREE · NATIVE

Black Tupelo

Nyssa sylvatica

Black tupelo (also called black gum) ignites the September forest with the earliest fall color of any eastern tree — fiery scarlet and orange, often weeks before the oaks even consider turning. Wild trees can live 600+ yrs and develop spectacular gnarled silhouettes.

// QUICK FACTS

Family: Nyssaceae
Group: tree
Native range: E. US incl. eastern OK bottomlands
USDA hardiness: Zones 4–9
Mature size: 50–75 ft
Sun: Full sun to part shade
Water: Tolerant of wet feet and drought
Wildlife value: Tupelo honey is world-famous; berries feed 30+ bird species
Ecological role: earliest fall color · pollinator superfood · long-lived native

Black Tupelo (Nyssa sylvatica) — *Nyssa sylvatica*. Photo via Wikipedia / Wikimedia Commons.

Field Notes

[ growing · ecology · siting · care ]

Underused in landscapes despite being one of the toughest, most beautiful native shade trees. Tolerates wet bottomland soils that drown most species. Small blue-black drupes are a top wildlife food in fall.

Why it's on this list: earliest fall color · pollinator superfood · long-lived native. Part of Rooted Revival's NE Oklahoma plant catalog — natives, ecologically positive non-invasive cultivars, and food crops worth growing in the Tulsa region.

Companion Planting

[ guild · polyculture · cross-layer pairings ]

Along a stream or seasonal floodplain, black tupelo pairs naturally with: american elderberry (Sambucus canadensis), crossvine (Bignonia capreolata), cardinal flower (Lobelia cardinalis), inland sea oats (Chasmanthium latifolium), american hornbeam (Carpinus caroliniana), and black chokeberry (Aronia melanocarpa).

black tupelo works best as a canopy or sub-canopy partner above the herbaceous and shrub layers.

Black Tupelo

Field Notes

Companion Planting

Photo Reference