Tupelo ogeche trees on the Suwannee river, north. Nyssa is a genus of North American deciduous leaves. Tupelo is a rare and wonderful honey produced from the White Ogeechee Tupelo Tree (nyssa ogeche). long, dark-green leaves are … Genus: Nyssa The name refers to a Greek water nymph. The Tupelo Tree. The water tupelo is an aquatic tree with an open crown of large, shiny leaves and a straight trunk with a swollen base. The tree remains interesting in winter because its regular, horizontal branches give it an attractive profile. The tree is too rare and small for the wood to be economically important.[3]. We’ll explain why that’s so important shortly. long stretch near the Gulf of Mexico. It … Although it grows in other areas as well, you won’t find another region with the concentration of white tupelos equal to this 100-mile (160 km.) Native to the Eastern U.S., the tupelo tree is an attractive shade tree that thrives in open areas with plenty of room to spread and grow. Other mammals that find nurture in swamp tupelo trees include bears, raccoons and wild turkey. The largest recorded black tupelo tree is 144 feet tall and has a crown spread of 95 feet. The white tupelo gum tree (Nyssa ogeche ‘Bartram’) is limited by its environment. The word “Nyssa” refers to a water nymph in Greek, whereas “tupelo” is of an American origin. It is deciduous and starts very symmetrical with a pyramidal shape, but ages to an irregular form. Distribution: Eastern North America. Beekeepers must clean the comb for tupelo honey when the tree is in bloom. Very important tree in the Florida honey industry. [4] The fruit is produced in small clusters of 2–3, is up to 4 centimeters long, and has a thick, juicy, very acidic flesh containing a single seed. Middle-aged Ogeechee Tupelo. As the tree matures it takes on more of an irregular habit. The four- to six-inch-long, dark green leaves are joined in early spring by dense, hanging clusters of small, white blooms. These trees stand up to 80 feet (24 m.) tall at maturity. Harvesting Tupelo honey is no easy feat. [2] Growing to 15 m (~50 ft), it is in flower from March to May, and the seeds ripen from August to October. * A tree to 60 ft. known for its 1/2-3/4 in. The mature fruit, known as Ogeechee lime, has a subacid flavor. There are many uses for tupelo trees in areas large enough to accommodate their size. The White Tupelo is predominantly found in North Florida where it prefers the moist climate of river banks and basins of the rivers that flow into the Gulf of Mexico. It is found in abundance along the Ogeechee, Altamaha, and Suwannee Rivers, and in certain wet flatwood regions between the Choctawhatchee and Wakulla Rivers of Florida. the tree often develops swollen buttress-type roots as it gets older. Ogeechee tupelo is also known as Ogeechee gum, Ogeechee-lime, wild lime tree, gopher plum, white tupelo, sour tupelo-gum, sour tupelo, white tupelo gum, lone tupelo, lime tree, and bee tupelo. Use them to naturalize low, boggy areas and places with periodic flooding. Tupelo honey is produced from the tupelo gum tree which grows profusely along the Chipola and Apalachicola rivers of northwest Florida. This tree is flood-tolerant and grows in USDA hardiness zones 6 through 9. Nyssa ogeche, commonly referred to as Ogeechee tupelo, white tupelo, river lime, ogeechee lime tree, sour gum or wild lime is a deciduous tree. diameter, red fruits that are pleasantly flavored and used as a substitute for limes. Water tupelos have large, dark green leaves that turn yellow in the autumn. Tupelo Tupelo or sour gum is a striking pyramidal tree in its youth with horizontal branches growing from a typically straight trunk. It is coarse grained, difficult to split and of little value. Tupelo definition is - any of a genus (Nyssa of the family Nyssaceae) of North American and Asian deciduous trees that have simple alternate leaves, small usually greenish-white dioecious flowers, and a rounded drupe; especially : black gum. According to swamp tupelo information, white-tailed deer love to eat the tree’s new growth and leaves, and many birds and mammals munch its nutritious fruits. Nyssa sylvatica, commonly called sour gum, is a slow-growing, deciduous, Missouri native tree which occurs in a wide range of soils south of the Missouri River in the southeastern quarter of the State. Description: First discovered by William Bartram along the Ogeechee River in Georgia, Ogeechee Tupelo is a lovely native tree which reaches 40 feet in height and is pyramidal when young, maturing to a spreading, flat-topped crown. It is usually included in the subfamily Nyssoideae of the dogwood family, Cornaceae, but is placed by some authorities in the family Nyssaceae. 1). Even though they prefer wet soil, they tolerate brief periods of drought. Nyssa ogeche (Ogechee Tupelo/White Tupelo) Female trees bear oblong fruit that are edible. Ogeechee Tupelo1 Edward F. Gilman and Dennis G. Watson2 INTRODUCTION First discovered by William Bartram along the Ogeechee River in Georgia, Ogeechee-Lime is a lovely native tree which reaches 40 feet in height and is pyramidal when young, maturing to a spreading, flat-topped crown (Fig. Its popular name derives from two Creek Indian words meaning tree (eto) and water (opelwu), and its latin name, Nyssa aquatica, means Water Nymph. Find more gardening information on Gardening Know How: Keep up to date with all that's happening in and around the garden. Bark matures to medium gray and resembles alligator hide. It has a native range that centers around Northwest Florida in a low area fed by the Chattahoochee River system. The flowers are pollinated by bees. For a few weeks every spring, the nyssa ogeche tree yields its fragrant white flowers in the North Florida and South Georgia wetlands. This tree typically grows to a height of 60 feet (18 metres) and occasionally attains a height of 100 feet (30 metres). It is made into preserves and can also be as a substitute for lime juice. Birds also nest in the swamp tupelo. ", Learn how and when to remove this template message, 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2018-2.RLTS.T61990567A61990570.en, "Ogeechee tupelo - Nyssa ogeche - USDA Plant files", "Ogeche Tree - Nyssa ogeche - Virginia Tech Dept. Black Tupelo, Nyssa, is a deciduous tree that grows to 50 feet tall or more. Honey made from the white tupelo gum tree, Nyssa ogeche, is top quality table honey and is valued for its uniquely delicious flavor and its inability to granulate. Sign up for our newsletter. Tree Size: 65-100 ft (20-30 m) tall, 2-3 ft (.6-1.0 m) trunk diameter. Here in the river swamps, this honey is produced in a … The most common and familiar tupelo trees are the black gum tupelo trees (Nyssa sylvatica). The Water Tupelo (Tupelo Gum) Tree has a swollen base, grows large and lives a long life in Southern swamps or flood plains, The Water Tupelo (Sour Gum) Tree often may be found growing in pure stands, and it grows anywhere from Virginia to Northwestern Florida and then westward to Texas, in a wide range of environments, even the swamps of the Deep South. Nyssa ogeche, commonly referred to as Ogeechee tupelo, white tupelo, river lime, ogeechee lime tree, sour gum or wild lime is a deciduous tree. Spring is supposed to be the better season to plant them. Scientific Name: Nyssa sylvatica. Tupelo Gum (Nyssa aquatica) Tupelo Gum also known as water tupelo, swamp tupelo grow to about 90 feet tall. Ogeechee tupelo (Nyssa ogeche), also called Ogeechee-lime, sour tupelo-gum, white tupelo, and bee-tupelo (3), is a scarce small tree or much branched shrub found along rivers and swamps of the Coastal Plain in constantly wet soils that are often flooded. White tupelo is supposed to be difficult to transplant because of its taproot, but plants in containers are more likely to survive than bare root plants. What's so special about tupelo? The flowers are very small, in greenish-white in clusters at the top of a long stalk and a rich source of nectar for bees. The bases of Tupelo Gum trees are swollen or flared outward but with out flutes like a cypress tree. Pests: Free of serious pests and diseases, but it can be affected by tupelo leaf miner, scale, leaf spot and rust. The berries contain seeds by which the seeds propagate. They are usually dioecious, so a male and female tree must be in proximity for reproductive success. Still others call it beetlebung, stinkwood, wild peartree or pepperidge. It has a native range that centers around Northwest Florida in a low area fed by the Chattahoochee River system. Trees planted in alkaline soil die young. The dark green glossy summer foliage takes center stage in fall when the leaves turn bright scarlet. It is noted for attracting wildlife. The name tupelo is the common name used for Nyssa, comes from a Native American language, the Creek, from the words ito ‘tree… Flowers: White, not showy flowers in the spring. Many species of birds, including wild turkeys and wood ducks, eat the berries and a few species of mammals, such as raccoons and squirrels, also enjoy the fruit. Sign up to get all the latest gardening tips! Fruit. If you could taste the exuberant fresh air of spring, it would surely be found in pure tupelo honey. It comes from the Creek words ito ‘tree’ and opilwa ‘swamp’. The crown is flattened and spreading usually looking ratty. White-tailed deer browse on the tree’s twigs. Small greenish-white flowers are followed by purple or blue fruits. This page was last edited on 26 June 2020, at 11:13. Apr 11, 2013 - Neal Pollard The white tupelo tree grows in abundance only in the wetlands of the Florida panhandle and south Georgia ("tupelo" is a Creek Indian word meaning "swamp"). Average Dried Weight: 34 lbs/ft 3 (545 kg/m 3) Specific Gravity (Basic, 12% MC):.46, .55. Tupelo Honey (Nyssa Ogeche) Tupelo honey is a high grade honey produced in a small region in North Western Florida and Southern Georgia from White Ogeechee Tupelo trees. Other names: Ogeechee tupelo, white tupelo, river lime, ogeechee lime tree, sour gum or wild lime. Tupelo honey is produced in the Okeefenokee Wildlife Refuge and the Apalachicola River basin in Florida, where the peninsula turns into the Florida panhandle. The juice can be used as a substitute for limes, Ogeechee tupelo requires a very moist site and is distributed along the borders of rivers, swamps, and ponds that are frequently inundated. When combined with the several other tupelo species, these trees have the distinction of being favorites with honey producers. The flowers are pollinated by bees. The honey … It grows naturally from the borders of South Carolina near the coast through the Ogeechee Valley in Georgia to Clay County in northern Florida and Washington County in western Florida. The birds that visit the tree to clean up the last of the berries also add winter interest. But, in the hands of the right beekeeper, those trees wed with honey bees to make some of … Common Name(s): Black Tupelo, Blackgum. Its simple leaves turn flaming red in the fall and the bold crooked twiggy branches make a picturesque outline against the sky in winter. 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. In addition, the flowers provide nectar for bees. The white tupelo gum tree (Nyssa ogeche ‘Bartram’) is limited by its environment. to 90 cm.) You may want to ask advice of an extension agent (through your local university) or someone at the nursery where you obtained them. White-tailed deer browse on the tree’s twigs, Swamp Tupelo Info: Learn About Swamp Tupelo Trees In Landscapes, Getting Ducks To Visit Ponds – How To Attract Ducks To Your Garden, Welcoming Wildlife In The Garden: How To Create A Wildlife Garden, How To Grow Grocery Store Basil - Planting Supermarket Basil, Can You Re-Grow Beets From Tops - Do Beets Re-Grow After You Eat Them, Grocery Store Squash Seeds - Can You Grow Squash From The Store, Troubleshooting Hops Plants: What To Do If Your Hops Stopped Growing, Growing Flowering Kale Plants: Information About Flowering Kale Care, Corn Cob Mulch: Tips For Mulching With Corn Cobs, What Is Algae: Learn About Types Of Algae And How They Grow, Starting Plants From Produce: Pineapple Tops, Vegetable Gardening Is A Long-Term Commitment. Figure 1. The most widely distributed member in North America is the black tupelo (Nyssa sylvatica), also known as black gum, sour gum, or pepperidge tree.It grows in woods and moist areas from Maine southward to the Gulf Coast and westward to Oklahoma. The wood is of little value, but the mature fruits and their juice are used by people. They make excellent shade trees and can serve as street trees where overhead wires aren’t a concern. The tupelo, or pepperidge tree, genus Nyssa, is a small genus of about 9 to 11 species of trees with alternate, simple leaves. They usually have a 1.5-foot to 3-foot (45 cm. of Forest Resources and Environmental Conservation", "Ogeechee Tupelo Honey - Nyssa ogeche - Tupelo Bee Keepers", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Nyssa_ogeche&oldid=964586398, Articles needing additional references from October 2014, All articles needing additional references, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. People who live in the area actually call this honey swamp honey, which makes sense because the area where the white tupelo trees grow is actually considered swampland. The binomial name of black tupelo is Nyssa sylvatica. Tupelo trees are an important food source for wildlife. Found in swamps but does well on drier sites. A tree of many monikers, the black tupelo is also known in various areas as a gum tree, sour gum, bowl gum, yellow gum or tupelo 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 Apalachicola River is the center of Tupelo Honey production in the United States, with abundant growths of white tupelos. Growing to 15 m (~50 ft), it is in flower from March to May, and the seeds ripen from August to October. Tupelo tree growing conditions include full sun or partial shade and deep, acidic, evenly moist soil. The 1.5-inch-long, showy red fruits on female trees are produced in abundance and ripen in autumn. wide, straight trunk, although you may occasionally see a split trunk. One thing they won’t tolerate is pollution, whether it is in the soil or the air, so it’s best to keep them out of urban environments. Fruit is bluish-black and is loved by many birds. It is primarily a lowland tree found in low wet woods, bottomlands and pond peripheries, but also can be found on dry rocky wooded slopes and ravines. Find out about tupelo tree care and maintenance in this article. The leaves are shiny and bright green in summer, turning several lovely shades of red, orange, yellow and purple in fall. Even more specifically, real Tupelo honey only comes from the White Tupelo tree (also known as the white gum Tupelo or the Ogechee lime tree). [5] The honey made from the nectar is known as "tupelo honey. 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