Cultivated as an ornamental tree in parks and large gardens, where it is
often used as a specimen or shade tree. The tree is best when grown in
sheltered but not crowded positions, developing a pyramidal shape in youth,
and spreading with age.
Nyssa sylvatica is a major source of wild honey in many areas within its
range. Hollow sections of black gum trunks were formerly used as bee
hives by beekeepers.
The wood of Nyssa sylvatica is heavy, hard, cross-grained, and difficult to
split, especially after drying. This resistance to splitting led to its use
for making mauls, pulleys, wheel hubs, agricultural rollers, bowls, and
paving blocks. The wood is also used for pallets, rough floors, pulpwood,
and firewood.
Nyssa sylvatica is an important food source for many migrating birds in
the fall. Its early color change (foliar fruit flagging) is thought to
attract birds to the available fruit, which ripen before many other fall
fruits and berries. The fruit is quite marked, dark blue, in clusters of
two or three. The sour fruits are eagerly sought by many kinds of birds,
including: American robin, Swainson's thrush, gray-cheeked thrush, hermit
thrush, wood thrush, northern cardinal, northern mockingbird, blue jay,
red-bellied woodpecker, yellow-bellied sapsucker, northern flicker,
pileated woodpecker, eastern phoebe, brown thrasher, eastern bluebird,
European starling, scarlet tanager, gray catbird and cedar waxwing.
The limbs of these trees often deteriorate early, and the decayed holes make
excellent dens for squirrels, raccoons, Virginia opossums, as well as
nesting sites for honeybees.
Further information:
Virginia Tech Dendrology
Missouri Botanical Garden
Go Botany New England