Tupelo
Nyssa sylvatica
Also called Black gum, Black tupelo and Sour gum
Garden plant · TreesThe best autumn colour of any tree that will grow on wet ground — scarlet, orange and plum on the same branch. It hates being moved, so plant a small container-grown one and leave it exactly where it is.
Care at a glance
- Ease
- Medium
- Water
- Every 4 daysWater the ground — water at the base, in the morning, not over the leaves.
- Light
- Full sun for the colour
- Feed
- Every 45 days
- Humidity
- Average to high
- Hardiness
- Hardy — a very cold winter RHS H6, to -20°C
- Size
- 15 m tall · 8 m across
- Lifecycle
- Tree
- Origin
- Eastern North America
Is it safe for pets and people?
PetsNothing recorded against it
No animal-poison authority lists this plant either way.
PeopleNot checked yet
Nobody has checked this one against a source for us yet, so treat it as unknown rather than safe.
Checked against ASPCA and RHS on 2026-09-22. Where a source says nothing, we say nothing.
A guide, not veterinary or medical advice. If a pet or a person has eaten a plant and you are worried, call your vet or doctor now — don’t wait for signs to appear. Spotted a mistake? Tell us.
First signs of trouble
- A transplanted tree that makes almost no growth for two or three years and colours badly in autumn. It has a brittle tap root and resents disturbance — buy the smallest container-grown one available, never a bare-root or a moved specimen.Sulking after a move · disorder
- Leaves going straight from green to dull brown in October. It is in too much shade, or in soil that dried out in August — this tree makes its colour out of full sun and a wet root run.Poor autumn colour · disorder