Black gum is native from Ontario south along the Eastern United States into Mexico.
It has a broad and diverse growing range.
Use this guide to find out how to grow and care for a black gum tree in your yard.
Credit:Denny Schrock
It is often sold as aballed-and-burlapped treeand less commonly as a container-grown plant.
Backfill the planting hole with native soil, firmly tamping it to eliminate air pockets.
Spread a 2-inchlayer of mulchover the root zone and water the tree deeply.
Credit:Bob Stefko
Continue watering weekly to maintain moist soil in the trees root zone.
After one growing season, water the tree as needed during long periods of drought.
Plant a black gum tree where you want it to stay.
Credit:Peter Krumhardt
It has a large taproot and doesnt transplant well.
Light
Plant black gum where it will receive at leasteight hours of direct sunlighta day.
It develops the most intense fall color in bright, sunny growing locations.
Credit: Marty Baldwin
It tolerates heavy, poorly drained soil where many other trees wont grow.
It is known to grow in standing water for short periods.
Black gum requires regular watering during the first year after planting.
After it establishes a root system, it tolerates extended dry periods.
Temperature and Humidity
Black gum trees grow well in a range of climates.
They grow hot, dry areas and in cold, damp environments.
Fertilizer
Black gum doesnt require fertilizer.
It finds the nutrients it needs from the native soil.
To encourage robust and rapid growth, spread a 2-inch-thicklayer of compostover the trees root zone annually in spring.
The compost will decompose and deliver nutrients to the tree roots.
Pruning
Black gum rarely requires pruning.
This slow-growing tree will develop a pleasing, natural shape without regular trimming.
Remove dead, diseased, or damaged branches whenever you notice them.
Pests and Problems
Black gum isnt usually affected by severe pest or disease problems.
New cultivars provide some resistance to leaf spot and some other pests and diseases.
Harvest a single seed from each seedpod when they appear in early autumn.
Fill 4-inch pots that have drainage holes with a mixture of half sand and half seed-starting mix.
Place one or two seeds in each pot and cover with 1/4-inch of planting medium.
Not all the seeds will germinate, so prepare more pots than you need.
After the seeds germinate and have two true leaves, transplant the seedlings into larger pots.
It grows 50-60 feet tall and up to 25 feet wide and tolerates a wide range of growing conditions.
This stunning landscape tree adds beauty to a home landscape for many years.
It offers good resistance to leaf spot.
It grows 35-50 feet tall and spreads to 30 feet.
It grows 30 to 40 feet tall and 10 to 15 feet wide.
Its foliage turns deep yellow, orange, and scarlet red in autumn.
Zones 49
Wildfire
Nyssa sylvaticaWildfire offers bold fall color and excellent leaf spot resistance.
The new foliage is bright red, maturing to shiny green before returning to bright crimson in the fall.
The tree grows to 50 feet tall and 30 feet wide.
Dogwood
Peter Krumhardt
Dogwoodsare available in a wide variety of colors, shapes, and sizes.
They add structure and color to the landscape for most of the year.
Winter brings bright red fruit for a final splash of color.
Carolina Allspice
Carolina allspicequalifies as an all-star choice for urban, suburban, and native landscapes.
It grows to considerable width at a moderate rate, about 12 to 18 inches per year.
This native shrub offers multi-seasonal interest.
There is no cure or prevention strategy.
Let the disease run its course.
Black gum is a slow-growing tree.
Expect it to grow about 12 inches per year.
These trees can live to be over 650 years old.
However, they typically live between 70-250 years.
This fruit is edible but sour.
This is why the fruit is commonly referred to as ‘sour gum’.
These trees have a deep root system and a slow growth rate.
It can take them 10-15 years to grow 12-15 feet.
