Plant Family: Nyssaceae
Growth Form: Medium-sized tree 5 to 15 meters high, with spreading horizontal branches and numerous short, stiff twigs.
Leaves: Alternate, simple, somewhat leathery, lustrous, broadly elliptic to obovate, 5 – 12 cm long, margins entire, apex with a short, sharp tip; turn an attractive scarlet in the fall.
Bark: Gray-brown, strongly fissured.
Flowers: Dioecious; small, greenish yellow, in long-stalked clusters, seen May to June.
Fruits: Long-stalked oval drupes with one seed, held singly or in clusters of 2 to 4; ripening to dull blue in the fall.
Habitat: Low wet woods, swamps, riverbanks, pond shores, sometimes on drier sites.
Range: Uncommon in northern New England, more common to the south, ranging south to Florida and west to Texas.
Key Features: The horizontal branching pattern and shiny leaves with short blunt tips will identify Black Tupelo.
Comments: Tupelo is said to come from the Creek word for swamp. Older trees tend to hollow out, providing attractive dens for raccoons and opossums.
