Melinda Myers

Black Tupelo

Botanical Name

Nyssa sylvatica

Min Zone

4

Max Zone

9

Height

30 to 50 feet

Width

20 to 30 feet

Flowers

Dioecious, greenish-white, not showy

Fruit

Drupe: oblong, .5 inch, bluish-black

Fall Color

Yellow, orange, red or burgundy

Light

Full sun to part shade

Soil

Moist, rich, well-drained, acidic

Planting & Care

• Difficult to transplant because of taproot
• Spring transplant only
• Prune in fall

Problems

None serious

Varieties

• Autumn Cascades - weeping form, good fall color
• Miss Scarlet - deep green leaves become bright red in fall, abundant fruit
• Afterburner (Nyssa sylvatica 'David Odum') - 35 feet tall by 20 feet wide, symmetrical shape, excellent red fall color
• Wildfire - new foliage emerges bright red, then mature to a dark glossy green, yellow-orange to purple-red fall color