BOTANICAL AND ECOLOGICAL CHARACTERISTICS
SPECIES: Nyssa sylvatica | Black Tupelo 



GENERAL BOTANICAL CHARACTERISTICS : 
Black tupelo is a medium- to large-sized, native, deciduous tree,
frequently 60 to 80 feet high (18-24 m) [22,31].  In the forest it
typically has a dense foliage with a conical crown on an erect trunk
which extends continuously into the top.  The simple, alternate leaves
are leathery, and densely clustered at the branchlets.  The small
greenish white flowers are borne singly or in capitate clusters.  The
bark is reddish brown and broken into deep irregular ridges and
diamond-shaped plates.  On old trunks, the bark may be an inch (2.5 cm)
or more thick [12,15].  Swamp tupelo (var. biflora) develops a long
taproot and a swollen base [44].


RAUNKIAER LIFE FORM : 
   Phanerophyte


REGENERATION PROCESSES : 
Seed production and dispersal:  Seed production in black tupelo is
highly variable while swamp tupelo is a prolific seed producer [10,23].
Viability of swamp tupelo seed, which averages 60 percent, increases as
the season progresses [44].  The principal dissemination agents are
gravity and birds [41].  Birds consume the fleshy fruits and seed are
passed through the digestive tract [44,48].  The fruits are not
persistent and fall shortly after ripening in late summer or fall.
Seeds not dispersed by animals generally fall to the ground near the
tree and remain dormant in the litter or are transported by water
[14,48].

Seedling development:  Under natural conditions, seed overwinters on
cool, damp soil and germinates the following spring.  Both varieties
appear to require nearly full sunlight for optimum early growth.  Black
tupelo, however, will tolerate more overhead competition and can exist
on unfavorable sites.  Swamp tupelo is much less adaptable [14,23,44].

Vegetative reproduction:  Both black tupelo and swamp tupelo will sprout
from the stump following disturbance.  Smaller black tupelo stumps
sprout readily while larger stumps sprout occasionally.  Sprouts arise
from suppressed buds and are concentrated near the top of the stump
[32,44].

Stump sprouts can produce seeds at 2 years of age.  Thus, if the seed
crop fails or unfavorable weather conditions prevent a good crop of
seedlings from becoming established, sprouts can provide a seed source
[32,44].


SITE CHARACTERISTICS : 
Black tupelo is adapted to a wide variety of sites, from the creek
bottoms of the southern Coastal Plain to altitudes of 3,000 feet (915 m)
in North Carolina.  Black tupelo will tolerate brief spring flooding on
alluvial sites and is common on the relatively dry upper and middle
slopes in the Appalachian Mountains.  On the drier uplands, black tupelo
will survive but with a slower growth rate [4,26].  Swamp tupelo is
found in and on the banks of swamps, ponds, and estuaries of the Coastal
Plain, and in low coves and seepages which remain wet year-round
[1,19,44].

Common tree associates of both varieties are:  black cherry (Prunus
serotina), dogwood (Cornus florida), hickory (Carya spp.), oak (Quercus
spp.), eastern hophornbeam (Ostrya virginiana), yaupon (Ilex vomitoria),
swamp cyrilla (Cyrilla racemiflora), and redbay (Persea borbonia)
[13,17,42,43,45].


SUCCESSIONAL STATUS : 
Black tupelo is usually found with a mixture of other species.  It is
classed as tolerant of shade and rarely attains overstory dominance but
is usually grows in the intermediate crown class on most sites.
Intermediate black tupelo stems respond favorably to release from
overtopping vegetation.  Seedlings grow slowly under a fully stocked
stand.  When the canopy is removed, about 25 percent or more can be
expected to respond with relatively rapid height growth.  At the time of
disturbance large numbers of new seedlings can become established.
Swamp tupelo is classed as intolerant of shade and will not develop
unless released [2,6,20,44].


SEASONAL DEVELOPMENT : 
Black tupelo and swamp tupelo flower in the spring when the leaves are
nearly grown.  Fruits develop over the spring and summer and ripen early
to late fall depending on latitude and climate.  General timing of
flowering, and fruit ripening and dispersal for the two varieties is as
follows [10,19,26]:

                  Flowering          Fruit ripening          Fruit dispersal

N. sylvatica
var. sylavatica    April-June          Sept-Oct                 Sept-Nov
    

N. sylvatica       late March-
var. biflora       June                Aug-Oct                  Sept-Dec

Related categories for Species: Nyssa sylvatica | Black Tupelo