The leaves of the Black Gum are dark green and elliptical with entire margins. The leaves turn a scarlet color and drop in the fall.
Twig and Bud Identification
[more information coming soon]
The Black Gum has a grayish-brown bark with deep furrows or thick blocky ridges.
The Black Gum has dark purple, oval drupes. Usually they have about a 1/2″ diameter.They ripen in late September and only appear on females.
The flowers of the Black Gum are greenish-white. The males flower in dense heads, and the females flower in sparse clusters.
Its leaves emerge as a dramatic red in the spring and fades to a green color throughout the summer. The wild type only has red coloration in the fall.
‘David Odom’ Identification
It has exceptional fall colors and a pyramidal shape.