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| Leaf Photo: Rob Routledge |
Bark Photo: Keith Kanoti |
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| Fruit Photo: Steven J. Baskauf |
Tree Photo: Melissa Spearing |
Although the black gum’s flowers are small and hard to see, bees love them.
Black gum is naturally rare in Ontario, found in low, wet areas in southwestern Ontario.
Black gum is recognized by its shiny, smooth-edged dark green leaves 5-12 cm long, clustered at the tips of new shoots. The leaf stalk may be reddish. The fruits are bluish-black when mature, with 1-3 fruits together on a long stalk. The bark is gray with irregular ridges.
It is occasionally planted as a specimen tree north and east of its natural range for its adaptability to drier sites, its upright form and brilliant red fall colour.
Size: Up to 20 m tall
Moisture: Adaptable
Shade: Prefers full sun, tolerates partial shade
Soil: Prefers rich, slightly acidic soils
Planting tip: Black gum can be difficult to transplant because of a large taproot, so look for root-pruned trees in containers or balled and burlap. Plant in early spring. More tips...
