Tree · Cornaceae

Blackgum

Nyssa sylvatica

Blackgum is recorded as native to 27 states and territories in Kew’s World Checklist of Vascular Plants and USDA PLANTS, and recorded in 1,107 counties of those states by USDA PLANTS.

Recorded native ranges can include long-established populations that spread from gardens; check your state’s native plant society list for local guidance. How native status is decided.

Key facts · USDA PLANTS

Blackgum at a glance

Native in: 1,107 counties, across 27 states and territories
Estimated cold hardiness: Zone 5b PLANTS minimum temperature −18°F
Mature height: 95 ft PLANTS mature height
Light and water: Tolerates shade Medium water use

Estimated cold hardiness: zone 5b. PLANTS gives a minimum temperature of −18°F; zone 5b winters bottom out at −15°F, the coldest half-zone that stays within that limit.

Counties where it is native

The 15 counties with the most ZIP codes among the 1,107 where it is listed.

Native counties by state

Alabama 65 counties
Arkansas 74 counties
Connecticut statewide record
Florida 31 counties
Georgia 71 counties
Illinois 33 counties
Kentucky 113 counties
Louisiana 46 counties
Maine 5 counties
Massachusetts 14 counties
Michigan 30 counties
Mississippi 65 counties
Missouri 44 counties
New Hampshire 9 counties
New Jersey 20 counties
New York 40 counties
North Carolina 54 counties
Ohio 72 counties
Oklahoma 19 counties
Pennsylvania 64 counties
Rhode Island 5 counties
South Carolina 27 counties
Tennessee 71 counties
Texas 30 counties
Vermont 4 counties
Virginia 100 counties
Wisconsin 1 county

Growing traits

Values from the PLANTS characteristics record. “Not recorded” means PLANTS has no value; nothing here is estimated except the zone.

Growth

Growth habit: Tree
Duration: Perennial
Mature height: 95 ft
Growth rate: Moderate
Growth form: Single Stem
Shape: Erect
Lifespan: Moderate
Active growth period: Spring and Summer

Light and water

Shade tolerance: Tolerant (tolerates shade)
Moisture use: Medium water use
Drought tolerance: Low
Tolerance of waterlogged soil: Low
Precipitation range: 40 to 60 in per year

Soil

Soil textures: Coarse and medium
pH range: 4.5 to 6
Lime (CaCO₃) tolerance: None
Salinity tolerance: Medium
Fertility requirement: Medium
Minimum root depth: 30 in

Climate

Minimum temperature: −18°F
Estimated cold hardiness: Zone 5b and warmer
Minimum frost-free days: 140
Fire tolerance: Low

Flowers, leaves and fruit

Flower color: Green
Showy flowers: No
Bloom period: Late Spring
Foliage color: Green
Showy in fall: Yes
Keeps leaves: No
Fruit color: Blue

Other

Toxicity: None
Nitrogen fixation: None
Nursery availability: Routinely Available
Family: Cornaceae
PLANTS symbol: NYSY

Source & data date

Source: USDA NRCS PLANTS Database: county distribution records, native status and plant characteristics. CC0 (public domain dedication, per the data.gov catalog record).; Kew’s World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP): native or introduced status by state. CC BY 3.0.; USGS US-RIIS (ver. 2.0): species listed as introduced are excluded. CC0.
Citation: USDA, NRCS. 2026. The PLANTS Database (https://plants.usda.gov, 11/04/2026). National Plant Data Team, Greensboro, NC USA.; Govaerts R. (ed.) (2026). WCVP: World Checklist of Vascular Plants. Facilitated by the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Data file dated 2026-06-04, http://sftp.kew.org/pub/data-repositories/WCVP/ (retrieved 2026-11-04). Paper: Govaerts R. et al. (2021) The World Checklist of Vascular Plants, a continuously updated resource for exploring global plant diversity. Scientific Data 8, 215.
Data date: Retrieved from PLANTS on November 4, 2026; WCVP data file dated June 4, 2026.
Scope: Nyssa sylvatica (PLANTS symbol NYSY).
Method: A species is listed when it is recorded as native to the state in Kew’s World Checklist of Vascular Plants and USDA PLANTS, and recorded in the county by USDA PLANTS. Species PLANTS labels both native and introduced are listed separately. Full method · All sources

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