Tupelo contains about five species native to the United States [3] and eastern Asia [2]. The word nyssa is the name of a water nymph, so-called because the type species, Nyssa aquatica L., water tupelo, grows in water.
Nyssa aquatica bay-poplar, bastard cottonwood, big tupelo, bowl gum, chickasawatchie whitewood, cotton-gum, gray gum, gum cottonwood, hazel pine, hickory poplar, ladle gum, large tupelo, olivetree, pawpaw gum, rootwood tupelo, sap gum, sour gum, swamp gum, swamp poplar, swamp tupelo, trade tupelo, tupelo, tupelo gum, water gum, water tupelo, white gum, wild olivetree, yellow gum
Nyssa ogeche bee tupelo, gopher plum, limetree, ogeechee lime, lone tupelo, ogeeche gum, ogeechee plum, ogeechee tupelo, sour tupelo, sour tupelo gum, tupelo, white tupelo, white tupelo gum, wild limetree
Nyssa sylvatica blackgum, black tupelo, bowl gum, gum, pepperidge, plain black gum, quartered black gum, sour gum, stinkwood, swamp blackgum, swamp tupelo, tupelo, tupelo gum, yellow gum, yellow gumtree, wild pear-tree
Nyssa sylvatica blackgum, swamp blackgum, bouw gum, lowland black gum,
var. biflora lowland gum, sour gum, southern gum, swamp black gum, swamp tupelo, tupelo gum, water gum
Distribution: The eastern to southeastern United States.
The Tree: Tupelo trees reach heights of 100 ft (30 m), with a diameter of over 3 ft (1 m).
General Wood Characteristics: The sapwood of tupelo is a light gray-brown, while the heartwood is darker. The wood has interlocked grain, with a natural tendency to warp when dried, especially when flatsawn. It shows a characteristic figure when quartersawn. It has no characteristic odor or taste.
Weight
Weightb
Species MC SGa lb/ft3 kg/m3
Nyssa aquatica Green 0.46 NA NA
(water tupelo) 12% 0.50 NA NA
Ovendry NA NA NA
Nyssa Green 0.46 45 721
sylvatica
(black tupelo) 12% 0.50 35 561
Ovendry 0.55 NA NA
aData for green and 12% conditions taken
from reference
(98); ovendry data from reference (59).
bData from reference (59).
Mechanical propertiesa
Property Green Dry
Nyssa aquatica (water tupelo)
MOE 1.05 106 7.239 GPa 1.26 106 8.688 GPa
lbf/in2 lbf/in2
MOR 7.30 103 50.334 MPa 9.60 103 66.192 MPa
lbf/in2 lbf/in2
C| | 3.37 103 23.236 MPa 5.92 103 40.818 MPa
lbf/in2 lbf/in2
C 0.48 103 3.310 MPa 0.87 103 5.999 MPa
lbf/in2 lbf/in2
WML 8.30 57.229 6.90 47.576
in-lbf/in3 kJ/m3 in-lbf/in3 kJ/m3
710 lbf 3,158.08 N 880 lbf 3,914.24 N
Hardness
Shear| 1.19 103 8.205 MPa 1.59 103 10.963 MPa
| lbf/in2 lbf/in2
Nyssa sylvatica (black tupelo)
MOE 1.03 106 7.102 GPa 1.20 106 8.274 GPa
lbf/in2 lbf/in2
MOR 7.00 103 48.265 MPa 9.60 103 66.192 MPa
lbf/in2 lbf/in2
C| | 3.04 103 20.961 MPa 5.52 103 38.060 MPa
lbf/in2 lbf/in2
C 0.48 103 3.310 MPa 0.93 103 6.412 MPa
lbf/in2 lbf/in2
WML 8.00 55.160 6.20 42.749
in-lbf/in3 kJ/m3 in-lbf/in3 kJ/m3
640 lbf 2,846.72 N 810 lbf 3,602.88 N
Hardness
Shear| 1.10 103 7.584 MPa 1.34 103 9.239 MPa
| lbf/in2 lbf/in2
aReference (98).
Drying and shrinkagea
Percentage of shrinkage
(green to final
moisture content)
Type of shrinkage 0% MC 6% MC 20% MC
Tangential
Nyssa aquatica (water 7.6 6.1 2.5
tupelo)
Nyssa sylvatica (black 8.7 6.2 2.6
tupelo)
Radial
Nyssa aquatica (water 4.2 3.4 1.4
tupelo)
Nyssa sylvatica (black 5.1 3.5 1.5
tupelo))
Volumetric
Nyssa aquatica (water 12.5 10.0 4.2
tupelo)
Nyssa sylvatica (black 14.4 11.1 4.6
tupelo))
aReferences: 0% MC, (98); 6% and 20% MC, (90).
Kiln drying schedulea
4/4, 5/4, 8/4 10/4 12/4 16/4
Condition 6/4 stock stock stock stock stock
Nyssa sylvatica T12-E5 T11-D3 T11-D3 T9-C2 T7-C2
(black tupelo)
Nyssa sylvatica var. T10-E3 T8-D2 NA NA NA
biflora (blackgum)
aReferences (6, 86).
Working Properties: It is moderately strong, but difficult to glue.
Durability: Tupelo lacks any natural durability.
Preservation: Tupelo is permeable.
Uses: Furniture, shipping containers, millwork, veneer, plywood, crossties, bridge ties and crossing planks.
Toxicity: No information available at this time.
Additional Reading: 21, 29, 55, 68, 74. 55, 66, 68, 74, 79. 28, 29, 42, 43, 44, 48, 50, 55, 56, 68, 72, 73, 74, 79, 92, 97, 102. 74, 75, 77, 99, 106. 101.