Black Gum Tree Wood
The black gum tree can grow to a towering 75 feet in height with a canopy stretching out to 35 feet.
Black gum tree wood. It is favored for its brilliant fall foliage and its winter form which displays attractively dropping branches over time. Black gum is one of the best honey producing trees in the world. Tupelo is a favored wood for wildfowl carvings. Black gum is an excellent choice to add autumn color to your garden.
The resilient wood is good for making tool handles. Because of its twisted grain black gum cannot be split so it has been somewhat spared by lumbermen. The name tupelo is of native american origin coming from the muskogee words ito tree and opilwa swamp. It needs full sun to grow to its fullest height although it can flourish in part shade as well.
It has a sweet odor when cut a tight and tortuous grain pattern with burl characteristics especially in the crooked limbs. The black gum nyssa sylvatica is a deciduous tree that is originally from the united states. However most black gum trees settle in at around 30 feet with a span of 20 feet of leafy branches. Black gum is excellent for turning.
Carving furniture crates boxes and utility wood. The national champion black gum 67 feet is in new jersey. I have done several turnings from a down black gum on my property and they are beautiful. Black gum s twisted interlocked grain makes it nearly impossible to split but in veneer form perfect for berry baskets.
In fact the genus nyssa is the name of a water nymph.