Swamp Tupelo

Description

Swamp tupelo or swamp black-gum (Nyssa biflora) is a wetland tree (OBL) that can grow to over 100-feet tall.  It is common throughout Florida’s swamps. Recently it was determined to be a separate species from black-gum (Nyssa sylvatica).

The swamp tupelo has minute greenish-white flowers that appear in the spring with the leaves, usually in late April. Insects, primarily bees, are the major pollinating vector, but pollen is also spread by wind. The fruit, a drupe, changes from green to a dark blue as it ripens, usually in early November. The seeds normally overwinter and germinate the following spring.