Black Tupelo

While black tupelo trees can be large, a majority of the black tupelos that you encounter may not be fully mature, as the species has become increasingly popularized for ornamental purposes, thanks to their gorgeous autumn leaves. Black tupelos have simple leaves that alternate on the branches, and if you are seeing Tuppy from late October to November, then you are especially lucky as you may start to notice those green leaves becoming a deep orangish red. 

As you admire Tuppy, an interesting feature to note is this man has thick bark, with reddish brown undertones …. MAN? Yup you heard that right, the tree you are currently standing in front of is indeed a male, we can tell by the long green/white inflorencense stalks and shorter, dense leaf cluster exclusive to male black tupelos. The cool branching pattern, specific to this tree in which the trucks fuse together, is a part of the natural phenomenon called Inosculation, which has been used historically by humans to perform grafting which fuses desired characterstics of plants together! 

An interesting thing to note about the black tupelo is that this species has unisexual flowers. In fact, the species is called polygamo-dioecious, which means that trees can have only male flowers, or only female flowers, or a mixture of male and female unisexual flowers, which showcases such a variety in sexual diversity! The male flowers are called “staminate,” while female flowers are called “pistillate.” Insects, primarily bees, love to pollinate these trees, delivering pollen from the male to the female flowers. While the black tupelo is indeed a fruiting tree, this specfic tree is a male which means it has plenty of pollen but no actual fruits. However, these trees are typically full of small blackish-blue, ovoid stone fruits that are  thin, oily, bitter-to-sour tasting called blackgum berries which can be found between September and October. 

But the black tupelo is more than just its looks. In regards to its origin, the black tupelo gets its name from its dark colored leaves, hence the word black and “Tueplo” stemming from the Creek Indian name for the tree (ito opilwa) meaning swamp tree. As well, the Genus name, Nyssa, means “Greek water nymph.”.  To not much surprise by its name, this native tree can grow all over the Northeastern US, but it thrives in creeks, marshes, swamps and wet flatlands. The species also supports many other organisms in its habitat. The fruit of the black tupelo is high in fat, fiber, phosphorus, and calcium, so many birds and animals use it for survival and helps some smaller species prepare for hibernation. Humans also use the sour berries in sweetened preserves. Many species also use tupelos for shelter and safety. Not to mention that the white-tailed deer typically eat the sprouts of the tree as they are very sweet until they reach maturity, which is quite charming.

Thank you for taking a moment to listen. I hope you enjoyed hearing about the black tupelo tree as much as I enjoyed researching it, and I encourage you to venture out and explore more trees around Rowan’s campus. These resources are a product of Dr. Sara Wright’s Plant Diversity course in the Biological and Biomedical Sciences Department. My name is Tony Resendiz, and I will earn my Bachelors of Science in Biology degree in 2022 I plan to pursue a career in Pharmesecutical Sales. You can read more about me and the Black Tueplo below.