Summary
Sour gum (Nyssa sylvatica) is a shining beacon in the autumn landscape. Dark green, glossy leaves reliably transform into the most brilliant shades of scarlet and orange unparalleled by any other tree. Reaching up to 60’ tall, it provides great architectural form with its pyramidal shape and perpendicular branching. In the garden, sour gum can grow in a wide range of soils from dry to periodically wet, as long as the soils are acidic. While a slow growing tree, it is worth including this stunning specimen in the garden. Some garden companions include downy-leaved arrowwood (Viburnum rafinesqueanum), mapleleaf viburnum (Viburnum acerifolium), wintergreen (Gaultheria procumbens), pinxterbloom azalea (Rhododendron periclymenoides), cinnamon fern (Osmundastrum cinnamomeum), royal fern (Osmunda regalis), and early lowbush blueberry (Vaccinium pallidum). Zones 4-9.
More Details
- Plant Type
tree - Sun/Shade Conditions
full-sun-to-partial-shade - Foliage Character
deciduous - Soil Moisture
dry-to-moist - Flowering Period
mid-spring-to-early-summer - Soil PH
acidic - Flower Color
green - Summer Foliage Color
green - Fall Foliage Color
orange, red, yellow - Fruit/Seed Color
blue-black
Additional Information
Hort.net, U.S. Forest Service (FEIS Lab), U.S. Forest Service – Silvics of North America