LEAVES: Alternate, simple, 2″-5″ long, oval with entire and slightly thickened margins, dark green and shiny above, often downy beneath, turning vivid red in early autumn.
TWIGS: Smooth grayish to reddish brown, pith white and chambered, buds round, pointed and reddish brown, ¼” long.
FRUIT: A dark blue berry, 1/3″-2/3″ long, 1-seeded with thin flesh, borne singly or 2-3 in a cluster, ripening in autumn.
BARK: Grayish, smooth to scaly, darker gray, thick and fissured into quadrangular blocks forming what is called “alligator bark” on very old trunks.
GENERAL: Also called Black tupelo, this is usually a medium sized tree, to 40′ in height on dry slopes and ridge tops, but it can reach 100′ and 5′ in diameter in moist areas along streams. Most common in the southeast and southcentral portions of the state it is rarer in the northern tier counties. The wood is difficult to split and is used for boxes, fuel and railroad ties. The fruits, twigs and foliage provide food for many birds and animals. The brilliant red autumn color and abundant blue fruit make this species an interesting ornamental planting.
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