Page 8 - September 28, 2022

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THE GREAT OUTDOORS

Our Native Gum
Our Native Gum

Blackgum begins its colorful display in early autumn, shifting from yellow to orange
to bright red and scarlet along the banks of our coastal plain rivers.

NATURE AROUND US by J. Morton Galetto, CU Maurice River

t was while taking carving lessons
with Vernon Smith over 30 years
Iago that I first became familiar with
tupelo. We were carving fancy birds as
opposed to smooth decoys. The choices
of wood for our class were basswood or
tupelo. Many competitive carvers, includ-
ing world champions, use tupelo, which
can be worked with hand tools or power
tools. It is lightweight and sands to a
smooth finish, allowing it to take the fine
details of burning-in individual feathers.
It permits greater detail than basswood
and is less likely to fuzz up. Wisely,
Vernon would cut us a blank on a band
saw and then we could begin to rough out
the birds ourselves. Most of our carving
tools were rather benign with the excep-
tion of knives, but a band saw can remove
not just wood but also digits. I thank
Vernon for his judgement!
At the time I wasn’t aware that tupelo,
blackgum, pepperidge, and sour gum are Blackgum trees, reflected here in Buckshutem Creek, a tributary of the Maurice River, displays a deep magenta shade as fall progresses.
all of the same genus—Nyssa. However, INSET: Nyssa sylvatica—blackgum leaves are obovate, narrower at the end with the stem. The edges are very slightly serrated. PHOTOS BY AUTHOR
carvers always call the wood tupelo and
the species they use is Nyssa aquatica, or wetlands and water corridors, growing In the southeast beehives are often and unpleasant. They are edible but not
water tupelo, a southeastern species. commonly in creek bottoms of the south- placed near Ogeechee or white tupelo desirable. If you were forced to forage for
There are about 10 different Nyssa ern coastal plains. In New Jersey they are trees, Nyssa ogeche, and thus the bees survival they would be an option, but for
species worldwide. The one common to found in flood plains, swamps, and bogs, produce the prized tupelo honey, which those who choose to eat them willingly
New Jersey is Nyssa sylvatica—blackgum making them one of the vegetative spe- is very mild and light. White tupelo trees they are normally offered in a heavily sug-
or black tupelo. Most New Jersey forest- cies used in part to delineate wetlands. are most abundant in Georgia and Florida ared jam or jelly preserve.
ers defer to the common name black- The Creek tribal word for tree is ito and wetlands. The honey from tupelo report- In regard to medical uses the bark pro-
gum. Its range is primarily east of the opilwa is swamp; colonists anglicized this edly has an unusually high fructose to duces vomiting, while ooze from the roots
Mississippi River to the Atlantic coast. into “tupelo.” glucose ratio, and therefore the sugar has been used in eyedrops and for killing
Why gum? In Trees of New Jersey and Aside from its use in carving, Nyssa molecules release over a longer time. The worms in children.
the Mid-Atlantic, Christopher T. Martine is also selected for unseen parts in furni- growers contend that this reduces the It is timely that we are speaking about
comments: “There is no clear reason why ture, plywood, pulp, railroad ties, boxes, “crash” more commonly associated with blackgum. We are one week into fall and
we call Nyssa sylvatica blackgum, since it crates, tool handles, conveyor rollers, and refined sugars. the first tree to display autumn color is
does not exude any gum-like substance. pallets. Its pulp makes high grade book Tupelo honey also provided a meta- Nyssa sylvatica—and it is magnificent.
The sweetgum does produce gum, but not and magazine paper. Tupelo trees often phor for musical artist Van Morrison, The display is dramatic, shifting from yel-
the kind used commercially for chewing. become hollow with age and historically who used it to compare his marriage low, to orange, to bright red and scarlet,
That comes mainly from the sapodilla beekeepers took advantage of this aspect, and the love for his wife in the lyrics of and making the banks of coastal plain riv-
plant, which produces gum called chicle. cutting a log from the trunk, placing a cap “Tupelo Honey”: “She’s as sweet as tupe- ers an ever-changing pageant of color. In
Chicle is one of the main ingredients in on one end and a roof on the other, and lo honey. Just like honey from the bee.” fact it is unusual to read a description of
chewing gum.” Well, for me that doesn’t finally drilling an entrance hole in the log The trees have a bluish-black berry the tree, in even the driest of field guides,
explain why it’s called a gum tree, only for bees to enter. Bee diseases have made fruit that is called a drupe because of that doesn’t describe them as being best
why it shouldn’t be. this style of bee box go out of fashion. the way it dangles on the stem. These known for their spectacular autumn
The common name for Nyssa is tupelo, The grain of tupelo is interlocked and fruits ripen from now through October. showiness.
which derives from a Native American twisted making it nearly impossible to The common name “sour” gum comes During summer the leaves are a deep
language. Tupelos are associated with split, but whole logs can be burned. from the fact that the berries are acidic green, shiny on the top surface and slight-