Tupelo Gum is a massive native tree that thrives in wetland environments where few other trees can survive. Nyssa aquatica grows 50 to 80 feet tall and 25 to 50 feet wide, naturally occurring in floodplains and swamps from Florida to Texas and north through the lower Mississippi Valley. Hardy in zones 6 through 9, this aquatic specialist actually prefers standing water and poorly-drained soils, making it one of the few landscape trees that actively welcomes wet feet. It produces small, insignificant flowers in spring and creates a striking silhouette in rain gardens and naturalized wetland settings.
Partial Sun
Moderate
6-9
960in H x 600in W
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High
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Tupelo Gum is uniquely adapted to grow in standing water, a trait that makes it invaluable for restoring wetlands and managing stormwater on properties where conventional trees would rot. Native across southeastern floodplain ecosystems from Missouri to Florida, it grows alongside bald cypress and water oaks in some of the most biodiverse wetland communities in North America. The tree tolerates full sun to part shade and actually thrives in acidic, moist soils where drainage is poor, solving a real problem for gardeners with perpetually soggy ground.
Tupelo Gum is primarily used in rain gardens and wetland restoration projects, where its ability to thrive in standing water and poorly-drained soils makes it uniquely valuable. It serves as a native shade tree for properties with naturally wet conditions, and provides ecological benefits in restored floodplain and swamp habitats where it grows naturally alongside other wetland species.
No timeline data available yet for this variety.
Transplant container-grown or balled-and-burlapped trees in spring or fall into moist, acidic soil. Choose a location that naturally stays wet or where standing water may occur seasonally. Space trees 25 to 50 feet apart to accommodate mature width.
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“Tupelo Gum is native to the floodplain and swamp ecosystems of the southeastern United States, with its range extending from Florida and Texas northward through the lower Mississippi Valley, reaching as far as Missouri, Illinois, Kentucky, and Virginia. In Missouri specifically, it persists only in the Bootheel swamps in the far southeastern corner of the state, a remnant of its historical distribution in the region's wetland systems. Its presence across these landscapes reflects centuries of adaptation to the wet, acidic conditions that define swamp and floodplain environments.”