Water Tupelo
Nyssa aquatica
- Native to:
- United States
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Taxonomy
- Division:
- Magnoliophyta | - Flowering plants
- Family:
- Nyssaceae
- Genus:
- Nyssa
- Species:
- Nyssa aquatica
- USDA Symbol:
- NYAQ2
Growth Characteristics
- Life Cycle:
- Perennial
- Growth Habit:
- Tree
- Height:
- 3000 cm
- Light Requirements:
- Full Sun
- Drought Tolerance:
- Low
- Bloom Months:
- mar,apr,may
- Bloom Colors:
- green
Wildlife Benefits
- Caterpillars:
- ★☆☆☆☆ Recorded caterpillar host plant (HOSTS Database)
Keystone Species Ranking
- Caterpillar Keystone:
- ★★★☆☆ Butterfly & moth species supported by this genus (NWF)
Host Plant for Caterpillars
Forest Tent Caterpillar (Malacosoma disstria)
Garden & Ecology Notes
- Wildlife Value:
- birds, small mammals, waterfowl
- Fall Color:
- red, orange, yellow
Soil Requirements
- Soil Type:
- rich, wet, alluvial soil
- pH:
- 5.0 - 7.0 (acidic to neutral)
- Drainage:
- tolerates poor drainage
- Moisture:
- consistently moist
- Notes:
- commonly found in floodplains and swamps
Propagation & Germination
- Stratification:
- Cold/moist stratification required — 60–90 days
- Germination Time:
- 30–90 days
- Notes:
- Seeds require cold stratification and consistently moist conditions. Germination can be erratic.
The above propagation data sourced from Claude AI
Pre-treatment: Seeds are sown by hand in late April into prepared field beds.
Establishment: Seeds are purchased from local people who collect within a 50 mile radius of the nursery. Ripe fruits range in color from white to dark grey. Water tupelo is found throughout the coastal plains from Virginia to northern Florida and east to Texas, and north to Missouri and southern Illinois. Seed sources are from south central Missouri.
Source: npn.rngr.net