Black Gum Tree Fruit Edible

Black tupelo nyssa sylvatica also called black gum tree is a north eastern american native tree producing edible fruit in the fall.

Black gum tree fruit edible. The fruit is a black blue ovoid stone fruit about 10 mm long with a thin oily bitter to sour tasting flesh and very popular with small bird species. The plants are dioecious male and female flowers on separate trees as well as polygamo dioecious male and female flowers on the same tree. Clusters of three fruits are usually found. Blackgums provide an abundant and varied food source for wildlife.

Its sibling the water tupelo is likewise edible as is the ogeechee lime another tupelo. There are 2 other species in the genus native to south eastern us they are the ogeechee lime nyssa ogeche and water tupelo nyssa aquatica this article primarily focuses on nyssa silvatica but many points could apply to either of the other species. The flowers are followed in the fall by blue black berries about the size of a peanut. The only edible part of the tree is the dried sap which makes a fragrant bitter chewing gum.

The fruit is edible but very sour. The trees spike ball fruit is almost as telltale for identification as the star shaped leaves. It takes the sweet gum tree 20 to 30 years to mature enough to produce its fruit. Like many trees the black tupelo also called the black gum tree and the sour gum barely makes it into the edible realm.

There are from one to three fruits together on a long slender stalk. The fruit is up to 15mm in diameter and is borne in small clusters of 2 3. The fruit is up to 15mm in diameter and is borne in small clusters of 2 3 82 200. Beavers eat the wood especially from young trees.

Fruit raw or cooked. Edible parts of black tupelo. The fruits are eaten by ruffed grouse bobwhite quail wild turkeys wood ducks over 30 species of songbirds several species of squirrels small rodents gray foxes opossums raccoons coyotes black bears and white tailed deer. A thin sharply acid pulp that is pleasant to roll in the mouth as a masticatory 183 it is also used in preserves 177 183.

They are a valuable energy food for birds especially the american robin. In comparison the mildly bitter sweet gum is definitely sweeter. Despite its name the gum is not sweet. The sweet gum got its name for the resinous sap that results when you score its bark.

The berries are edible but if you eat one you will quickly learn why it is called a the tree is sometimes call sourgum. It is not. It s called sweet gum to separate it from a different species altogether the black gum nyssa sylvatica which is extremely sour and bitter. Fruits are ovoid bluish black and have a white coating.