Water tupelo, Cotton gum, Tupelo gum
Nyssa aquatica

Family: Cornaceae

What it is like

A medium sized tree. It grows 15-30 m tall and spreads 4.5 m wide. The trunk is 90 cm wide. The stems are erect and the crown is dome shaped. The leaves are oval shiny dark green above and downy underneath. They are 25 cm long and 5-10 cm wide. They have teeth along the edge. The flowers are greenish white. They are produced in clusters in the axils of the leaves. There are many male flowers in heads and female flowers occur singly. The fruit are a deep red. They are berry-like and 2.5 cm long. The stone has 10 wing-like ridges.

There are about 5 Nyssa species. These have previously been in the Nyssaceae family.

Where it is found

It is a temperate plant. It grows in swamps and on flood plains. It can stand considerable flooding. It grows up to 150 m altitude in the south of USA. It suits hardiness zones 5-10. Arboretum Tasmania.

Countries/locations it is found in

Asia, Australia, Indonesia, North America (country/location of origin), SE Asia, Tasmania, USA

How it is used for food

The fruit are sometimes eaten raw. They are usually made into preserves.

Edible parts

Fruit, honey

How it is grown

Plants can be grown from seeds, cuttings or air-layering.

Its other names

Local names

Swamp tupelo, Tupelo air

Synonyms

Nyssa angulisans Michx.; Nyssa candicans var. grandidentata D. J. Browne;