Black Gum Tree Wood Uses

The resilient wood is good for making tool handles.

Black gum tree wood uses. I have done several turnings from a down black gum on my property and they are beautiful. Black tupelo grows up to 20 25 meters. This wood species is not listed in the cites appendices or on the iucn red list of threatened species. It has a sweet odor when cut a tight and tortuous grain pattern with burl characteristics especially in the crooked limbs.

The wood has a unique reddish brown color with sapwood that s nearly white and black grain running through the hardwood. The wood of nyssa sylvatica is heavy hard cross grained and difficult to split especially after drying. Blackgum also called black tupelo tupelo gum or just tupelo is a tree that loves to grow in water and water soaked soils. Classification kingdom plantae order cornales family cornaceae or nyssaceae genus nyssa species n.

Black gum is excellent for turning. Hollow sections of black gum trunks were formerly used as bee gums by beekeepers. In fact the genus nyssa is the name of a water nymph. The leaves of the black gum tree are an elongated oval shape that offer a brilliant fall show.

This resistance to splitting led to its use for making mauls pulleys wheel hubs agricultural rollers bowls and paving blocks. Black tupelo also called black gum tree pepperidge tree or simply tupelo is native to north america from new england to southern ontario to central florida eastern texas and mexico. Sweet gum trees are found throughout the eastern united states. Because of its twisted grain black gum cannot be split so it has been somewhat spared by lumbermen.

Gum resin from the trees has. Carving furniture crates boxes and utility wood. The national champion black gum 67 feet is in new jersey. It s considered a valuable tree used for lumber and furniture production as well as for ornamental purposes.

Black gum s twisted interlocked grain makes it nearly impossible to split but in veneer form perfect for berry baskets. The leaves flutter easily in the slightest of breezes and form a rounded canopy. Sweet gum trees have various medicinal uses. Tupelo is a favored wood for wildfowl carvings.

Black gum or sour gum tree facts can be rather fascinating for arborists who study this hardy towering native species. The name tupelo is of native american origin coming from the muskogee words ito tree and opilwa swamp.