Are black gums good trees?
The renowned university of georgia professor of horticulture, dr. Michael dirr, wrote that black gum “is one of our best, most consistent and beautiful trees in the fall. black gum trees can live for more than 450 years. A medium-sized tree, black gum grows anywhere from 30′ to 50′ tall and 20′ to 30′ wide. Clusters of small greenish-yellow flowers bloom in may/june, followed by juicy, bluish-black fruit that ripens in fall. Black gum shouldn’t be confused with sweet gum (unrelated) whose fruit is spiny and messy.Black gum wood is used for veneer, plywood, boxes, pulp, tool handles, gunstocks, docks, and wharves. Bees make good honey from black gum blossoms. The fruit is edible but sour and has a large seed; some people eat them or make them into preserves.Known by its scientific name, Nyssa sylvatica, the black gum prefers moist well-drained, acidic soil in full sun to partial shade. It naturally occurs in forested seasonal wetlands and swamps and in upland woods and slopes that are seasonally flooded.Black gum wood is used for veneer, plywood, boxes, pulp, tool handles, gunstocks, docks, and wharves. Bees make good honey from black gum blossoms. The fruit is edible but sour and has a large seed; some people eat them or make them into preserves.
What is another name for a black gum tree?
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. Still others call it beetlebung, stinkwood, wild peartree or pepperidge. Black tupelo (Nyssa sylvatica var.
Where do black gum trees grow?
Nyssa sylvatica, commonly known as tupelo, black tupelo, black gum or sour gum, is a medium-sized deciduous tree native to eastern North America from the coastal Northeastern United States and southern Ontario south to central Florida and eastern Texas, as well as Mexico. Nyssa sylvatica is a species commonly known as the blackgum tree. The bark of this tree was used to treat fevers, cancer, gonorrhea, wounds, urinary tract infections, and intestinal worms.