Blackgum | Arboretum | SIU

This tree is one of the 150 trees initially included in the arboretum to coincide with the campus's 150th anniversary celebration.

Scientific Name:
Nyssa sylvatica

Cultivar:

Native to:
Eastern North America from the coastal Northeast USA and southern Ontario south to central Florida and eastern Texas, as well as Mexico

Mature Height and Width:
30-50 feet by 20-30 feet

Additional Notes:
Blackgum wood is difficult to work and poorly suited for modern manufacturing processes.  However, landscapers are increasingly appreciating this species for its beautiful fall foliage and its resiliency in poor quality urban soils.  Its fruit is palatable to many songbird species and the cavity-prone trunk provides habitat to tree-nesting mammals as well as to honeybees.

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