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THE GARDEN SAGEA library of living things
Trees & woodland lore · Western North Carolina field companion

Wildfire black gum

Nyssa sylvatica

Black gum leaf: a glossy, simple blade with a mostly smooth edge. Species reference; leaf form alone does not establish Wildfire.
Black gum leaf: a glossy, simple blade with a mostly smooth edge. Species reference; leaf form alone does not establish Wildfire.☀ Full sun · ◐ Part sun or part shadePhoto by David J. Stang ↗ · CC BY-SA 4.0
Photo contextResized and converted to WebP; no diagnostic content altered.

Outstanding native fall color; difficult to transplant when large, so install young.

Sun Exposure
Full sun–part shade
MATURE HEIGHT (FT)
30–50
MATURE WIDTH (FT)
20–30
BLOOM SEASON
Spring
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Get to know this plant.

Identification clue 1

Glossy alternate leaves

Identification clue 2

Usually smooth leaf edges

Identification clue 3

Blue-black fruits on slender stalks

Read the leaves

An oval to obovate blade usually lacks teeth. Compare the whole twig because an occasional leaf may vary.

More growing details

Read the bark

Mature trunks develop blocky, deeply furrowed bark.

Fruit & seed

Small dark fruits usually occur singly or in little clusters on slender stalks.

Winter character

Alternate buds and angular, often horizontal branches offer supporting clues.

Origin & place

The species occurs naturally in the southern Appalachian region; a planted specimen is not evidence of wild local origin.

Compare with American persimmon

Persimmon fruits are much larger and orange; both can develop blocky bark, so bark alone is insufficient.

WNC Notes

Outstanding native fall color; difficult to transplant when large, so install young.

Sun Exposure

Full sun–part shade

MATURE HEIGHT (FT)

30–50

MATURE WIDTH (FT)

20–30

BLOOM SEASON

Spring

BLOOM COLOR

Greenish

FALL / WINTER COLOR

Scarlet-orange

Wet-Soil Tolerance

High

Drought Tolerance

Low

LOOK CLOSELY

Two views, a closer look.

Place two photographs beside one another. Compare the overall plant with leaves, flowers, or bark when those views are available. Captions identify what each photograph actually shows. Images are not at the same scale; species references may show different cultivars.

Black gum leaf: a glossy, simple blade with a mostly smooth edge. Species reference; leaf form alone does not establish Wildfire.
Black gum leaf: a glossy, simple blade with a mostly smooth edge. Species reference; leaf form alone does not establish Wildfire.☀ Full sun · ◐ Part sun or part shadePhoto by David J. Stang ↗ · CC BY-SA 4.0
Photo contextResized and converted to WebP; no diagnostic content altered.
Black gum leaves and ripe fruit — species reference; named cultivar identity not inferred.
Black gum leaves and ripe fruit — species reference; named cultivar identity not inferred.☀ Full sun · ◐ Part sun or part shadeKATHERINE WAGNER-REISS ↗ · CC BY-SA 4.0
Photo contextResized and converted to WebP; original composition retained.

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