Louisiana Plant ID | Nyssa aquatica (water tupelo)

FAMILY: CORNACEAE (formerly NYSSACEAE)

ALTERNATE COMMON NAME: tupelogum

LEAVES: alternate, simple, deciduous; 5-12” long, narrow elliptic, margin usually entire, silvery lower surface

FLOWER: greenish, long peduncles, axillary cluster; flowers before leaves fully out

FRUIT: black drupe, about 1" long, peduncle longer than fruit, matures in summer, water disseminated

TWIGS: diaphragmed pith

BARK: gray, furrowed

FORM: large trees normally have very pronounced butt swell; straight trunk, prunes well; often 100’ tall x 3-4’ diameter

HABITAT: wet sites, swamps, margins of lakes; common associates are baldcypress, pumpkin ash, other wet site hardwoods

WETLAND DESIGNATION: Obligate Wetland (OBL): Almost always occurs in wetlands of the Atlantic and Gulf Coast Plain Region

RANGE: Atlantic and gulf coastal plains

USES: seed eaten by wildlife (bear, raccoons, woodducks, quail, turkey, songbirds), deer browse; wood interlocking grain - can’t be split, furniture, tools, pulp, veneer for plywood; ornamentals; hone; butt logs traditionally used to carve duck decoys, it can be carved green when it is soft, and then be allowed to dry without cracking

Best Recognition Features:

wet site habitats
large leaf with silvery lower surface
butt swell

School of Renewable Natural Reources	Louisiana Plant Identification and Interactive Virtual Tours Dr. Chris S. Reid, Project Director \| creid4@lsu.edu LSU School of Renewable Natural Resources LSU AgCenter, Baton Rouge, LA © 2003-2018 website problems or broken links: mbowen@agcenter.lsu.edu page revised: 26-Jun-2019 2:26 PM msb	LSU AgCenter
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