Nyssa aquatica

water tupelo, blackgum, sourgum, water gum, tupelo gum, tupelo, cotton-gum, water-tupelo
Family

Cornaceae

Leaf Arrangement

alternate

Leaf Attachment

petiolate

Leaf Margin

entire, toothed

Leaf Type

simple

Leaf Shape

oblong, elliptic, ovate

Growth Form

tree

Flower Month

March - May

Height (meters)

30.0

Milky Sap

No

Armed/Unarmed

Unarmed

Origin

native

Lifespan

perennial

Leaf Retention

Deciduous


Wetland Class

OBL

Wetland Coefficient of Conservatism

9

Field Characters

Long purple berries. Most leaves with one big tooth.

Habitat

Swamps, floodplain forests, lake and pond margins, deep freshwater swamps, sluggish streams.

Plant Uses

The wood is light, soft, and close-grained, but not strong. It is used in furniture, veneer, pulpwood, railway ties, and slack cooperage.