Black Gum Tree Leaves Turning Red In Summer
Few trees are able to compete with black gum in regard to summer and fall color.
Black gum tree leaves turning red in summer. Flavonoid compounds in the leaves are responsible for the yellows. Pyramidal when young black gum develops an irregular rounded or flat topped form with age. For landscape design it is a fantastic fall choice. Dry hills or wet flatlands of the eastern u s.
Black gum nyssa sylvatica or black tupelo is a medium to large growing deciduous tree native to usda zones 4 to 9. In september its dark green foliage gives way to intense red fall color with hues of orange yellow and purple which makes it a wonderful selection for home landscapes. Anthocyanins a type of flavonoid gives us the deep reds purples and magentas. This slow growing tree attains a height of 30 to 50 feet and a width of 20 to 30 feet.
The disease can cause. Caused by the verticillium fungi this wilt attacks many plants including black gum trees. This can ruin the tree s appearance temporarily but it s unlikely to kill the tree. Flowers are small and insignificant.
Red fall foliage is a different matter. The fall color of sourwood is a striking red and orange and associated with blackgum and sassifras. Carotenoids produce the orange reds. The chemical compound responsible for red in the leaves anthocyanin isn t produced until late summer.
Black gum leaf on any variety of the tree is an elongated oval that flutters in the slightest of breezes from the slender branches. Its fall foliage is a showstopper with leaves turning various shades of orange yellow red and a striking purple. The black gum is susceptible to fungal diseases including botryosphaeria canker leaf spot infections and heart rot infections. Leaves with black spots are likely caused by a fungus that thrives in moist conditions making this a common problem in humid climates.
It is an early summer bloomer and gives fresh flower color after most flowering plants have faded. Rarely reaches 100 feet in the wild. If browning appears in summer inadequate watering or high winds may be the cause. As trees prepare to drop their leaves chlorophyll breaks down and voila yellow and orange fall foliage.
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. The dark gray bark is smooth when immature becoming cracked as the tree ages. In the fall the leaves turn yellow orange red and burgundy. By late august it is common to see foliage of young sourwood trees along roadsides beginning to turn red.