Nyssa sylvatica Marshall var. dilatata Fernald

<http://npdc.usda.gov> spp.), eastern hophornbeam (Ostrya virginiana), and yaupon (Ilex vomitoria), it is shade tolerant and seldom grows as the dominant tree but it usually grows in the intermediate crown class on most sites. It responds favorably to releases from overtopping vegetation. Seedlings grow slowly under a fully stocked stand. At the time of disturbance, large numbers of new seedlings can become established. Smaller blackgum stumps sprout readily and larger stumps sprout and develop root suckers. Layering can be used to produce stocks. Propagation from Seed: Seed production is highly variable, disseminated primarily by gravity and birds, others generally fall to the ground and remain dormant in the litter or are carried by water. Seeds overwinter on cool, damp soil and germinate the following spring. Blackgum requires nearly full sunlight for optimum early growth. Pre-chilled seeds must be sown in spring. Seeds are drilled at the rate of 15 ft per row and covered with ½ - 1 inch of soil. A mulch of sawdust is often used. Beds must be kept moist. Propagation from Stumps: Blackgum sprouts from the stump following disturbance. Smaller sour gum stumps sprout readily while larger stumps sprout occasionally. Sprouts arise from suppressed buds and are concentrated near the top of the stump. Stump sprouts can produce seeds at 2 years of age.

Management

Seedling establishment is best accomplished by the shelterwood method. Regeneration can also be accomplished by clear-cutting if prior to a good seed fall or if advanced regeneration already exist. Due to the high palatability of seedlings and sprouts, controlling deer populations can protect Black tupelo. It often competes with loblolly and short-leaf pine for water and light, reducing its growth and development. Basal tree injections with herbicide is an effective control method for crown kill. Intermediate trees respond favorably to release from overhead vegetation; seedlings respond to reduction in canopy cover with relatively rapid height growth.

Pests

Tupelo leaf minors (Antispila nyssaefolia) and forest tent caterpillar (Malacosoma disstria) attacks Black tupelo causing growth loss and occasional mortality. Cultivars, Improved and Selected Materials (and area of origin) Materials are readily available from nurseries throughout its range. Contact your local Natural Resources Conservation Service (formerly Soil Conservation Service) office for more information. Look in the phone book under ”United States Government.” The Natural Resources

Conservation

Service will be listed under the subheading “Department of Agriculture.”

Fact Sheet

Alternate Names

sourgum, pepperidge, tupelo, tupelo-gum

Uses

Erosion Control: Reestablishes well in erosion prone areas like burned over forest, abandoned fields, rolling hills and cold mountain swamps. Wildlife: Black bears, foxes, wood ducks, wild turkeys, robins, woodpeckers, mockingbirds, brown thrashers, thrushes, flickers, and starlings frequently eat the fruit, while white-tailed deer and beavers browse the twigs, foliage and young sprouts. Additionally, provides cavity and nesting sites for a variety of birds and mammals and a good honey tree. Timber: Its wood is used for light, nonsplitting woodwork such as in docks and wharves; veneer, containers, crossties and pallets. Recreation and Beautification: Excellent ornamental plant for its straight bole, shapely crown and attractive autumn foliage.

Status

Please consult the PLANTS Web site and your State Department of Natural Resources for this plant’s current status (e.g. threatened or endangered species, state noxious status, and wetland indicator values).

Description

Nyssa sylvatica Marsh,, blackgum, grows from Maine west to New York, extreme southern Ontario, central Michigan, Illinois, central Missouri, and south to central Florida, It is a medium- to large-sized tree, frequently 60 to 80 ft high and 3 to 4 ft in diameter; it typically has dense foliage with a conical crown on a straight trunk, The simple, alternate leaves are leathery, and densely clustered at the branchlets, The small greenish white flowers are borne singly or in clusters, Use soil moisture sensors to measure the soil moisture of Nyssa sylvatica Marshall var. dilatata Fernald., The bark is reddish brown and broken into deep irregular ridges and diamond-shaped plates,

Adaptation and Distribution

Distribution

Distribution

It is adapted to a wide variety of sites, from the creek bottoms of the southern Coastal Plain to altitudes of 3,000 feet in North Carolina. It grows best on well-drained, light-textured soils on the low ridges of second bottoms and on the high flats of silty alluvium. It will tolerate brief spring flooding on alluvial sites and is common on the relatively dry upper and middle slopes in the Appalachian Mountains. On the drier uplands, it grows best on the loams and clay loams. It is well adapted to fire. Older trees have thick bark and relatively high moisture content. Although aboveground portions of young trees are top-killed by fire, it typically survives by sprouting from the root crown or caudex. Robert H. Mohlenbrock USDA NRCS 1991. Southern Wetland Flora @ USDA NRCS PLANTS Blackgum is distributed throughout the East and lower Midwest. For a current distribution map, please consult the Plant Profile page for this species on the PLANTS Website.

Establishment

Blackgum is usually found with a mix of other species including black cherry (Prunus serotina), dogwood (Cornus florida), hickory (Carya spp.), oak (Quercus spp.), eastern hophornbeam (Ostrya virginiana), and yaupon (Ilex vomitoria), it is shade tolerant and seldom grows as dominant tree but it usually grows in the intermediate crown class on most sites. It responds favorably to release from overtopping vegetation. Seedlings grow slowly under a fully stocked stand. At the time of disturbance large numbers of new seedlings can become established. Smaller blackgum stumps sprout readily and larger stumps sprout and develop root suckers. Layering can be used to produce stocks. Seed production is highly variable, disseminated primarily by gravity and birds, others generally fall to the ground and remain dormant in the litter or are carried by water. Seed overwinters on cool, damp soil and germinates the following spring. It requires nearly full sunlight for optimum early growth. The plant tolerates competition and can exist on unfavorable sites. Pre-chilled seeds must be sown in spring. Seeds are drilled at the rate of 15 per ft of row and covered with ½ - 1 inch of soil. A mulch of sawdust is often used. Beds must be kept moist. It sprouts from the stump following disturbance. Smaller sour gum stumps sprout readily while larger stumps sprout occasionally. Sprouts arise from suppressed buds and are concentrated near the top of the stump. Stump sprouts can produce seeds at 2 years of age.

Management

Seedling establishment is best accomplished by shelterwood method. Regeneration can also be accomplished by clear-cutting if prior to a good seed fall or if advanced regeneration already exist. Due to the high palatability of seedlings and sprouts, blackgum can be protected by controlling deer populations. It often competes with loblolly and shortleaf pine for water and light, reducing its growth and development. Basal tree injections with herbicide is effective control method for crown kill. Intermediate trees respond favorably to release from overhead vegetation; seedlings respond to reduction in canopy cover with relatively rapid height growth.

Plant Traits

Growth Requirements

Temperature, Minimum (°F)	-18
Adapted to Coarse Textured Soils	Yes
Adapted to Fine Textured Soils	No
Adapted to Medium Textured Soils	Yes
Anaerobic Tolerance	Low
CaCO3 Tolerance	None
Cold Stratification Required	Yes
Drought Tolerance	Low
Fertility Requirement	Medium
Fire Tolerance	Low
Frost Free Days, Minimum	140
Hedge Tolerance	None
Moisture Use	Medium
pH, Maximum	6.0
pH, Minimum	4.5
Planting Density per Acre, Maxim	800
Planting Density per Acre, Minim	400
Precipitation, Maximum	60
Precipitation, Minimum	40
Root Depth, Minimum (inches)	30
Salinity Tolerance	Medium
Shade Tolerance	Tolerant

Morphology/Physiology

Bloat	None
Toxicity	None
Resprout Ability	Yes
Shape and Orientation	Erect
Active Growth Period	Spring and Summer
C:N Ratio	High
Coppice Potential	Yes
Fall Conspicuous	Yes
Fire Resistant	No
Flower Color	Green
Flower Conspicuous	No
Foliage Color	Green
Foliage Porosity Summer	Dense
Foliage Porosity Winter	Porous
Foliage Texture	Coarse
Fruit/Seed Conspicuous	No
Nitrogen Fixation	None
Low Growing Grass	No
Lifespan	Moderate
Leaf Retention	No
Known Allelopath	No
Height, Mature (feet)	95.0
Height at 20 Years, Maximum (fee	30
Growth Rate	Moderate
Growth Form	Single Stem
Fruit/Seed Color	Blue

Reproduction

Vegetative Spread Rate	None
Small Grain	No
Seedling Vigor	Medium
Seed Spread Rate	Slow
Fruit/Seed Period End	Fall
Seed per Pound	3360
Propagated by Tubers	No
Propagated by Sprigs	No
Propagated by Sod	No
Propagated by Seed	Yes
Propagated by Corm	No
Propagated by Container	Yes
Propagated by Bulb	No
Propagated by Bare Root	Yes
Fruit/Seed Persistence	No
Fruit/Seed Period Begin	Summer
Fruit/Seed Abundance	Medium
Commercial Availability	Routinely Available
Bloom Period	Late Spring
Propagated by Cuttings	Yes

Suitability/Use

Veneer Product	No
Pulpwood Product	No
Post Product	No
Palatable Human	No
Palatable Browse Animal	Medium
Nursery Stock Product	Yes
Naval Store Product	No
Lumber Product	No
Fuelwood Product	Medium
Fodder Product	No
Christmas Tree Product	No
Berry/Nut/Seed Product	No

Nyssa sylvatica Marshall var. dilatata Fernald

Nyssa sylvatica Marshall var. dilatata Fernald

Nyssa sylvatica Marshall var. dilatata Fernald

Nyssa sylvatica Marshall var. dilatata Fernald

Nyssa sylvatica Marshall var. dilatata Fernald

Nyssa sylvatica Marshall var. dilatata Fernald

Nyssa sylvatica Marshall var. dilatata Fernald

Nyssa sylvatica Marshall var. dilatata Fernald

Nyssa sylvatica Marshall var. dilatata Fernald

Nyssa sylvatica Marshall var. dilatata Fernald