Black Gum Tree Leaf

The leaves flutter easily in the slightest of breezes and form a rounded canopy.
Black gum tree leaf. Black gum referring to the dark leaves. Aged black gums begin decaying from the top so trees become shorter as they grow older. This species has two common names. It is found in dry upland forests occasionally bottomlands savannas and upland depressions that are occasionally flooded.
Raised leaf spots appear on the leaves and begin to discolor and drop off. Black gum is susceptible to leaf spots caused by a fungus. Blackgum or black tupelo is a native deciduous tree that may grow 50 to 80 feet tall. The blackgum is grown as an ornamental for its beautiful scarlet red fall color and the shiny dark green leaves in the summer.
The alternately arranged 3 inch long dark green glossy leaves and attractive fall color are perhaps the most distinctive features. The leaves of the black gum tree are an elongated oval shape that offer a brilliant fall show. Leaf spots multiply at the end of the growing season. Caused by the verticillium fungi this wilt attacks many plants including black gum trees.
The symptoms include raised black spots with ragged edges on leaves. Tupelo lesion happens when the fusarium solani fungus attacks resulting in the bark swelling up and becoming rough. Black leaf spot is one of several leaf spot diseases caused by fungus. Nyssa sylvatica black tupelo leaves and unripe fruits photo by.
Black gum summer leaves are a dark green with a high gloss appearance but the most spectacular part of this tree is the fall foliage with many shades of yellow orange bright red purple or scarlet that may appear on the same branch. Black gum or sour gum tree facts can be rather fascinating for arborists who study this hardy towering native species. The magnificent fall color is enhanced by siting trees in locations with more direct sunlight. While tupelo is derived from the creek indian name for the tree ito opilwa which means swamp tree.
The fungus lurks in the soil attacking the underground portion of the tree. These leaf spot diseases affect all shade trees including the black gum tree according to the university of illinois extension. The disease can cause leaves. Nyssa sylvatica commonly known as tupelo black tupelo black gum or sour gum is a medium sized deciduous tree native to eastern north america from the coastal northeastern united states and southern ontario south to central florida and eastern texas as well as mexico.