Nyssa sylvatica 'Wildfire' Black Tupelo
Black gum or black tupelo is a medium-sized, native deciduous tree in the Nyssaceae family. The black gum is grown as an ornamental for its beautiful, scarlet red, fall color and for its shiny, dark green leaves in the summer.
The black gum reaches a mature size of 40 to 70 feet tall but typically reaches 20 to 30 feet in cultivation. Trunk diameter is typically 1 to 2 feet but can reach 4 to 5 feet in taller specimens. The tree prefers average, medium to wet soils in full sun. It tolerates many soil types and moisture conditions, but is slow-growing, reaching about 12 to 15 feet in about ten years, growing faster with a good watering and fertilizer schedule.
Black gum is a good street tree, specimen, and shade tree. The spectacular fall foliage color will add interest to your landscape.