PLANT OF THE MONTH
November, 2006
Plant of the Month Feature
by Jeff Iles
Arboretum Board Member
Professor and Chair
Department of Horticulture
Iowa State University
Nyssa sylvatica
(black gum)
Black gum (Nyssa sylvatica) is the prototypic four-season tree. In winter, its almost perfectly-spaced horizontal branches seem to invite the accumulation of snow and ice, creating an otherworld effect for the observant and lucky passer-by. With the arrival of spring, trees wrap themselves in a mantle of lustrous and leathery light green foliage that eventually turns a refined and handsome dark green as the summer months unfold. But it's autumn that we look forward to the most because there is no finer fall color display than that of the black gum. Many garden writers use the rather pedestrian noun "red" to characterize its fall foliage, but I think scarlet or crimson better describes the dramatic coloration and memorable effect black gum imparts to the landscape at the end of the growing season. And in some years, shades of yellow, orange, and purple provide the perfect accent to an already stunning display.
Black gum is native to swampy areas and lowlands throughout much of the eastern United States (it is not native to Iowa), but there's hope for us because the species is tolerant of drier, upland sites, and like baldcypress, can be successfully grown far outside of its native range. Black gum is considered a medium-sized tree capable of growing 65-80 feet tall, but most specimens toiling away in managed landscapes of the upper Midwest fall short of those projections.
The botanic or scientific name Nyssa sylvatica is loosely translated to mean "nymph of the woods." I'm sure all of you remember that Nysseides was a Greek water nymph, and if you use your imagination and picture a leafless specimen of black gum with its rigidly-held horizontal branches twirling away somewhere in the deep, dark forest (sylvatica refers to the wooded habitat), then the name makes perfect sense.
Common names, and Nyssa sylvatica has quite a few, are equally intriguing. The name tupelo, used almost as commonly as black gum, is derived from two native Cree Indian words (ito opilina) meaning, "tree of the swamp." Sour gum refers to the extremely bitter taste of the blue-black fruit. Other names include pepperidge, pioneer's toothbrush (more of a toothpick if you ask me), and of all things, bettlebung. What's a bettlebung you ask? The word dates back to Colonial times when "beetles" (mallets made from the very hard wood of black gum trees) were used to hammer "bungs" (corks) into barrels of whale oil.
Black gum always has been one of my favorite native plants, but integrating one into the landscape can be a challenge. Those low, spreading, horizontal branches require this plant be given ample room to grow and develop, but in many residential landscapes, space is at a premium. Therefore, placing black gum at the rear of the property, in a shrub border, or in any location where the plant doesn't have to be pruned to fit the space is critically important. And whatever you do, don't prematurely "limb up" your prized specimen. Not only are those lower branches important for trunk and root development, but their presence is what makes black gum so unique.
About the author: Dr. Jeffery Iles presently serves as Professor and Chair of the Department of Horticulture at Iowa State University in Ames, Iowa. He holds advanced degrees from Penn State University and Iowa State University. Among many awards and honors, Dr. Iles is an Honorary Lifetime Member of the Iowa Nursery and Landscape Association. He has authored or co-authored more than twenty journal articles in such journals as HortTechnology, Journal of Environmental Horticulture, Journal of Arboriculture, and HortScience. Research projects Dr. Iles is currently involved in include Landscape Plant Evaluation, Invasive Landscape Plants, and Landscape Plant Usage. The Bickelhaupt Arboretum is fortunate to have Dr. Iles on its Board of Directors.