Sour Gum – Nyssa sylvatica

Features: Also known as the black gum or tupelo tree, this slow-growing, binary (dioecious) beauty has greenish-white flowers in sparse clusters on the female of the species and in dense heads on the male, all of which are an excellent nectar source for bees.

When pollinated by a nearby male, the fruit of the female matures to a dark blue and is attractive to songbirds, as well as edible for humans—although quite sour. Leaves are orange to scarlet in the fall. Mature bark is very distinctive. Bees get nectar from its tiny spring flowers.

Cook County is the very northern edge of its native range, where it is found in flatwoods with sandy soil, so it may require some protection from extreme cold, and from deer when young. It's glossy leaves are tasty to them.

Light: Sun to part shade.

Soil: Moist, acidic; tolerates standing water, but also medium soil

Height: 30-50 feet. Slow growing, with a long taproot

Width: 20-30 feet

Blooms: May-June

See more information and photos at: Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center and Missouri Botanical Garden

Photos from Wikimedia