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Forestry
Champion Trees
Black Gum
(Nyssa sylvatica Marsh)
This harbinger of early Autumn, commonly called Black Gum (Nyssa sylvatica
Marsh) is also known by other vernacular names as Tupelo tree, Tupelo
Gum, Black Tupelo, Sour Gum, Pioneer’s toothbrush, Bee-gum, or Pepperidge. It is
a member of the Dogwood Family, Cornaceae. The genus name Nyssa means "water
nymph" and the species name sylvatica refers to the wooded habitat. The common
name Tupelo is from the Native American Creek ito opilwa, meaning
swamp tree. They seem to prefer swampy or moist soil conditions,
however, like the Bald Cypress, they do well on dry soil types. Elvis Presley’s
birth place, Tupelo, Mississippi was so named by the presence of so many Tupelo
gum trees. An invariable characteristic occurs in the early fall when the
glossy, dark green leaves subtly begin to glow with rich shades of red and
purple that give Red Maples and Sumacs a run for their money. This tree is
probably the only American tree that has a food named after it, Pepperidge
Bread. In the early 1940's, Margaret Fogarty Rudkin began baking bread in
Fairfield, Connecticut at their family home called Pepperidge Farm. The dietary
requirements of an ailing son, was keen in the development of her famous
product. Commercially baked bread that was not only nutritionally healthful, and
tasted good, was not available at that time. Necessity, as the mother of
invention, forced her to produce home made bread the old-fashioned way. When the
son’s doctor tasted the bread, he wanted more.This famous Pepperidge bread
originated almost within the branch spread of two enormous Pepperidge trees.
This simple business has grown to include eight plants across the United States.
The Black Gum is capable of reaching a height of one hundred feet with its
horizontal branches exhibiting a zig-zagged appearance in the winter. The
simple, alternate, entire (sometimes with a few coarse teeth), deciduous leaves
are from 2 to 6 inches in length and 1 to 3 inches wide. Attractive to bees and
other nectar feeders, the polygamo-dioecious flowers (usually male and female
flowers on separate trees, but not always) appear in axillary clusters from
April through June. The bluish black, glaucous, ½ inch long fruit are
drupe-like, ripening in September and October. They are usually in clusters on
long peduncles. 32 species of birds greedily eat the fruit. The foliage is
browsed by Black Bear and White-tailed deer. This tree has been in cultivation
since 1750. It is essentially disease and insect free, and an environmental
attribute that I have noticed, is that the health of the tree does not appear to
be affected by aerial applications of agricultural pesticides.
The vernacular name, Pioneer’s toothbrush, was a common term years ago. When
a small, very brittle twig, was broken off at right angles, it produced a
fibrous bundle of woody tissue on the end, that was used to brush the teeth. The
name Bee-gum originated when one of these diseased hollow trees was discovered
and used as bee hives. After felling, it was cut into several lengths and placed
on end on a box with a board for a roof covering. Several hives could crudely be
manufactured from one tree.
Preferring moist rich soils, this handsome tree ranges from Texas to
Oklahoma, Arkansas, Louisiana; east to Florida, north to Maine, and west to
Michigan and Wisconsin. It has been reported in all but one county in Arkansas.
The Arkansas Champion Black Gum is owned by the Rex Timber Company, and is in
Ashley county, near Crossett, Arkansas. It has a Bigness Index (B.I.) of 370,
a circumference of 202 inches (16.83 feet), is 144 feet tall, and has a crown
spread of 95 feet. The (B.I.) Bigness Index is determined by the application of
a "weighted "formula. The circumference of a tree is measured in inches at a
height of four and one half feet from the soil line, the height is in actual
feet, and the crown spread in feet, measured twice; at the widest and least wide
spread. These figures are added and the sum is divided by two, and that figure
is then divided by four. All of these three final figures are added together and
the sum becomes the Bigness Index, and is officially recognized throughout the
United States.
This tree is in the process of being nominated as the National Champion Black
Tupelo. The National Register of Big Trees 2000 states that there
are currently two co-champion Black Tupelo trees in the United States. One is in
Franklin Township, New Jersey with a B.I. of 279. The other co-champ is located
in Madison, Connecticut with a B.I. of 274. A 10 point B.I. difference
must be established to capture the crown title. The Arkansas tree has a 91
point B.I. advantage and may soon be the largest Black Gum or Black Tupelo in
this great country.
This story first appeared in the January 2002 issue of the
AR Gardener Magazine.
By: Reggie Talley
Retired Monroe County Extension Agent
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