Scientific name: Nyssa sylvatica
Common name: black tupelo
Native: Yes
Native range: Native to the eastern United States, as well as the southernmost parts of Ontario. Isolated native populations exist in southern and central Mexico [1,3,4].
Distribution in North America: Click to view the USDA Plants Database page for N. sylvatica.
USDA Zones: 4B-9B [3]
Maximum age: Long-lived with a maximum age of approximately 650 years [6].
Ecology: The fruits and young sprouts are a source of food for a wide variety of wildlife, including bears, foxes, birds, deer, and beavers [1,2,4]. Additionally, it provides important forage for bees and is considered a quality honey tree [4]. Black gum is a "prolific cavity producer" [4] and an important source of nesting sites for many birds and mammals [1,2,4]. It hosts several small moth species, as well as one large, colorful, native saturniid - the regal moth (Citheronia regalis) [7].
Ethnobotany: Due to its hardy nature, it is a common ornamental in urban plantings [1,2,3]. Indigenous American groups used the tree for a variety of medicinal purposes, including as a gastrointestinal remedy, tuberculosis medicine, a dermatological aid, and eye medicine [5].
[1] https://plants.usda.gov/DocumentLibrary/
[2] https://plants.usda.gov/DocumentLibrary/
[3] https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/pdf/ST/ST42200.pdf
[4] https://www.srs.fs.usda.gov/pubs/misc/
ag_654/volume_2/nyssa/silvatica.htm
[5] http://naeb.brit.org/uses/species/2604/
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