Water Tupelo

Nyssa aquatica

Size: 3 Gallon Availability

Tree
Max size: 80’ tall x 40’ wide
Average size: 70′ tall x 35′ wide

Very Moist, Usually Moist
Pond/Lake/Stream bottom, Clay, Loam, Sand
Sun, Part Shade
No Salt Tolerance

AKA: Cotton Gum, Wild Olive, Sour Gum, Water Tupelo

This deciduous tree has an orange fall color, and its edible fruits ripen in the fall. It is known for making excellent honey. It is best used as a shade tree for swamps, wetland areas, retention ponds, and floodplains. The fruits are eaten by small birds and mammals, and are visited by bees. They are wind pollinated.

The wood is used for boxes, woodenware, fruit crates, bowls, and ladles. The Choctaw people made a red dye by burning the bark and mixing in red oak ash.