A native classic with glossy green leaves and a fall color finale that glows in reds, oranges, and deep purples
FEATURES:
- Outstanding fall color with rich red, orange, and purple tones
- Glossy green summer foliage with a clean, refined look
- Strong, pyramidal form that matures into a stately shade tree
- Native tree that supports local wildlife and pollinators
- Tough, adaptable, and long lived once established
- Beautiful bark texture adds winter interest
- Hand Selected, Fresh from the Grower
- Ships on our trucks because of the size of the tree - does not fit in a box
Bower & Branch Landscape Design Tip
Choose a sunny spot for the best fall color and a strong canopy, though Black Gum will also tolerate part sun. Provide regular watering during establishment, especially in the first few seasons, then it becomes a more self-sufficient tree with deep, sturdy roots. Mulch around the base to conserve moisture and protect the root zone, keeping mulch off the trunk. Pruning needs are minimal, mostly limited to removing crossing branches or shaping while the tree is young. If your landscape needs a long-lived centerpiece with show stopping autumn color, Black Gum is one of the best choices you can make.
Growth Facts
- Hardiness Zone: 4-9
- Mature Height: 40-60' tall
- Mature Width: 20-30' wide
- Exposure: Full Sun/Part Shade
- Spacing: 20-30' apart
Black Gum
Bower & Branch Trees and Plants
Nyssa sylvatica
Regular price
🎄Merry Springmas!🎄
Save 35% on All Tree Collections with code: SPRINGMAS35 at checkout.
Spring starts here!
Plant with Confidence when choosing Big & Tall Trees and Hedges!
A native classic with glossy green leaves and a fall color finale that glows in reds, oranges, and deep purples
FEATURES:
- Outstanding fall color with rich red, orange, and purple tones
- Glossy green summer foliage with a clean, refined look
- Strong, pyramidal form that matures into a stately shade tree
- Native tree that supports local wildlife and pollinators
- Tough, adaptable, and long lived once established
- Beautiful bark texture adds winter interest
- Hand Selected, Fresh from the Grower
- Ships on our trucks because of the size of the tree - does not fit in a box
Bower & Branch Landscape Design Tip
Choose a sunny spot for the best fall color and a strong canopy, though Black Gum will also tolerate part sun. Provide regular watering during establishment, especially in the first few seasons, then it becomes a more self-sufficient tree with deep, sturdy roots. Mulch around the base to conserve moisture and protect the root zone, keeping mulch off the trunk. Pruning needs are minimal, mostly limited to removing crossing branches or shaping while the tree is young. If your landscape needs a long-lived centerpiece with show stopping autumn color, Black Gum is one of the best choices you can make.
Growth Facts
- Hardiness Zone: 4-9
- Mature Height: 40-60' tall
- Mature Width: 20-30' wide
- Exposure: Full Sun/Part Shade
- Spacing: 20-30' apart
Why plant Black Gum?
Well known as one of the most beautiful native trees, Black Gum Trees are etched with seasons of magnificent features! A bevy of hummingbirds and butterflies flock to this beauty in spring as clusters of delicate white flowers bloom for many months. A true sight to see as you relax on your patio, watching a host of colorful winged friends flutter throughout your yard. Shining dark green leaves shimmer in the wind like an elegant chandelier. In fall, you’ll want to hoist up a hammock under the large canopy of red, orange, and yellow autumn leaves. Native honey bees and birds particularly love the small fruits that ripen in fall. A widely beneficial shade tree not on you but also for the health of your local ecosystem!
The early settlers on Marthas Vineyard learned from the native Wampanoag’s how to manufacture whale oil. As demand for oil grew they began storing and shipping the oil in wooden casks. The Black gum tree, native to the island, was key in this production. The gnarled grain of the Black gum resists splintering and was used for making the beetle, or mallet and the bungs, which are the wooden stoppers in the casks. This tree is known to the Islanders as the Beetlebung Tree.
How to use Black Gum in the landscape?
It isn’t the prettiest name, but wait until you see the gorgeous fiery fall color. This environmentally friendly native tree is moderately sized and has some of the most glorious fall color you will ever see! Use it to line your driveway or fence line for a stunning show each fall! Or, if you're a beekeeper, plant this native Tupelo in order to harvest tupelo honey!
Planting Zones
Hardiness Zone: 4-9
How To Plant Black Gum
You cannot plant a finer shade tree than the Black Gum! They prefer full sun, but also tolerates light shade. Black Gums can grow in a wide range of soil conditions and they are free of any major pest or disease problems. This long-living tree is one of the first trees to show fall color and it’s some of the best fall color I’ve ever seen! The Black Gum, when young, will start out by growing rather slowly and have a slightly irregular growth habit, but once established it will take off and become an awesome attention grabber!
How To Water
Once you plant your tree, remember to keep it well watered during the first year in the ground. Water twice weekly for the first 3-5 weeks; then water weekly for the remainder of the year until winter. When you water, water slowly and thoroughly. Watering needs may be altered due to extreme weather conditions.
How To Prune
The best time to prune your Black Gum tree is in late winter. Simply remove any damaged or dead branches that you see for the overall health of your tree.
Frequently Asked Questions
Black Gum is famous for its intense fall color, often showing bright reds, oranges, and purples all at once. It tends to color reliably even when other trees have a softer fall display.
It produces small, subtle flowers in spring. Female trees can produce small dark fruits that are loved by birds and wildlife, while the tree remains clean and ornamental in the landscape.
Not at all once it is established. Give it sun, water during the first few seasons, and a protected root zone with mulch. After that, it is a resilient, long-lived tree that rewards you with shade and incredible fall color.
How Does Sizing Work?
The size of our trees have nothing to do with the container size like you may find elsewhere–big doesn't mean just height - it’s also vigor, age, and overall health. Other online retailers are going to tell you that a plant is a seven gallon, that means nothing to your tree or plant (or you.)
Our trees for sale online are graded on large, x-large, and even bigger sizes. This is because our trees are sized by their age—the higher the letter, the more mature the tree. The age determines the trees’ overall height, size of the trunk and the overall branch density.
All of these characteristics are what you should be looking for when choosing a tree for immediate impact and instant curb appeal. Our extra-large tree and plant sizes are sure to wow you and your neighbors!
See the size guides below.
Our Guarantees
3-YEAR-TREE GUARANTEE:
Bower & Branch offers a Three-Year Tree Guarantee on all of our trees, sizes X-Large and up. Only the finest and the most experienced growers are awarded the opportunity to grow for Bower & Branch, so we offer the best guarantee available.
If your tree(s) should fail for any reason during the three-year guarantee period, you will receive an online gift card in the amount that you originally spent on the tree.* You can then use this online gift card for any Bower & Branch Purchase.
* Bower & Branch provides online gift cards in the amount of the original purchase price of the tree(s). The amount does not include any additional costs such as delivery, planting, tax, or any other products or services. Online gift cards can be applied towards any Bower & Branch purchase on BowerandBranch.com and have no expiration dates. Bower & Branch does not guarantee tree replacement or availability of any desired product at any time. Cash refunds are not offered. Bower & Branch requires that all original tags and receipts are present when a guarantee request is initiated. The Bower & Branch Three-Year Guarantee only applies to plant material that has been planted in the ground. Container plantings are NOT covered.
At Bower & Branch, we do our best to honor all guarantee fulfillment requests to ensure customer satisfaction. However, we reserve the right to refuse the request if the required guarantee steps were not satisfied. Bower & Branch also reserves the right to deny any guarantee fulfillment request that is made as a result of animal damage, problems with plant hardiness and zone issues, or acts of nature (snow storms, hurricanes, and similar).
Reach out to a Plant Whisperer with any questions:
- Email: plantwhisperers@bowerandbranch.com
- Phone: 866-873-3888
- Or via Online Chat
