Blackgum

Nyssa sylvatica

Taxonomy

Division:: Magnoliophyta | - Flowering plants
Family:: Nyssaceae
Genus:: Nyssa
Species:: Nyssa sylvatica

Growth Characteristics

Life Cycle:: Perennial
Growth Habit:: Tree
Height:: More than 40 ft
Light Requirements:: Full Sun, Part Shade, Shade
Drought Tolerance:: Medium
Bloom Months:: apr, may, jun
Bloom Colors:: White, Green, Brown

Native Range

United States: Alabama, Arkansas, Connecticut, District of Columbia, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Maryland, Maine, Michigan, Missouri, Mississippi, North Carolina, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, Vermont, Wisconsin, West Virginia, Canada: Ontario

Keystone Species Ranking

Caterpillar Keystone:: ★★★☆☆ Based on number of butterfly and moth species using this genus as host plant (Source: National Wildlife Federation)

Host Plant for Caterpillars

Actrix dissimulatrix, Antispila nysaefoliella, Azalea sphinx (Darapsa choerilus), Cecropia moth (Hyalophora cecropia), Eastern Tent Caterpillar (Malacosoma americana), Ectoedemia nyssaefoliella, Fall webworm (Hyphantria cunea), false prominent (Schizura leptinoides), False Underwing Moth (Allotria elonympha), Forest Tent Caterpillar (Malacosoma disstria), Gypsy moth (Lymantria dispar), Hebrew moth (Polygrammate hebraeicum), Luna moth (Actias luna), Morrisonia latex, Regal Moth (Citheronia regalis), skiff moth (Prolimacodes badia), tupelo leaffolder moth (Actrix nyssaecolella), White-marked Tussock Moth (Orgyia leucostigma)

Soil Requirements

Soil Type:: rich, well-drained loamy soil
pH:: 5.0 - 6.5 (acidic to slightly acidic)
Drainage:: tolerates poor drainage
Moisture:: consistently moist
Notes:: Prefers bottomlands and swampy areas

Germination Information

Pre-treatment: Seeds are sown in late October using a Love seeder set at 2nd gear @5 setting.

Establishment: Seeds are purchased from local people who collect within a 50 mile radius of the nursery. Fruits are blue-black, fleshy drupes that ripen in the fall. Black gum is found throughout the eastern US: from the northeastern and Upper Midwestern states south to eastern Texas and Florida. Seed sources are from south central Missouri.

Source: npn.rngr.net