Black Gum

Nyssa sylvatica

Pollinator Value

🐛 Larval Host: Polygrammate hebraeicum, Actias luna, Hyalophora cecropia, Orgyia leucostigma, Darapsa choerilus, Lithophane unimoda, Probole alienaria, Acronicta fragilis, Tortricidia testacea, Schizura leptinoides, Morrisonia latex, Lithacodes fasciola
S13+S15 12 verified Eastern NA
❄️ Winter Food Source: Blue-black drupes ripen in late summer through fall and are consumed by American Robin, Eastern Bluebird, Wood Thrush, Hermit Thrush, Veery, Gray-cheeked Thrush, Ruffed Grouse, and European Starling. Fruits are also eaten by Eastern Gray Squirrel, Fox Squirrel, and American Black Bear.
S57 9 bird species; S10 fruit consumed by many birds and mammals

Proximity Score: 1
Native Status: ❌ Outaouais ❌ Ottawa ❌ QC ✅ ON
Closest Direction: S
CEC Eco-Regions: 8 – Eastern Temperate Forests, 8.1 – Mixed Wood Plains, 8.1.1 – Eastern Great Lakes and Hudson Lowlands
Rarity Notes: Globally secure (G5) but nationally uncommon in Canada (N3). Ranked S3 (Vulnerable) in Ontario, reflecting the species' northern range limit in the Great Lakes region. Not listed under SARA or assessed by COSEWIC.
S22 G5, N3, S3 ON; S26 not SARA listed
Rarity Ranks: ON S3 – Vulnerable
Migration: Stable
Ecological Context: Black tupelo typically inhabits low acid woods, swamps, and shorelines on imperfectly drained soils, but also occurs on drier sandy uplands and rocky wooded slopes. In Michigan, it frequents oak-hickory woods, floodplain forests, tamarack bogs, and sand dunes in acid soils. The species reaches its northern range limit in southern Ontario, where it is ranked S3 (Vulnerable).
S29 low acid woods, swamps, shores; S7 dry or moist forests, acid sandy soils; S22 S3 in ON

Roles: Fortress/Barrier, Pollinator Attractor
S73/S29/S72 Evidence: Fortress/Barrier: S61 keyword match: thorns? (supporting signal only)] | Pollinator Attractor: S73 [MEDIUM]: S68 4 bee associations (threshold=3)]

Category: Anthelmintic, Antidiarrheal, Emetic, Ophthalmic, Dermatological Aid, Gynecological Aid
S28 Cherokee and Houma uses; S29 Emetic, Ophthalmic, Vermifuge
Notes: Cherokee used bark infusions as a bath and internally for children with worms (anthelmintic), compound decoctions for diarrhea, and inner bark preparations as an emetic. Root ooze was applied as eye drops. Houma used root or bark decoctions for worms. Creek used bark decoctions for pulmonary tuberculosis. Koasati applied bark decoctions to gun wounds.
S28 15 Moerman uses across Cherokee, Houma, Creek, Koasati; S29 bark is emetic, ophthalmic, vermifuge

❌ Not Edible

Foraging Notes: The thin, sharply acidic pulp of the drupe can be rolled in the mouth as a masticatory and is occasionally used in preserves. PFAF rates edibility 2 of 5. USDA classifies as not palatable to humans.
S29 fruit raw or cooked, acid pulp; S11 Palatable Human=No