BLACK GUM
(SOUR GUM) (PEPPERIDGE)

The black gum or sour gum is a hardwood tree that grows up to 120 feet in height and has a diameter that sometimes reaches five feet. In the North, it is called pepperidge. The Indians knew it as Tupelo. The black gum grows best in swamps or lowlands that have poor drainage. The limbs deteriorate early and the decayed holes make excellent dens for squirrels, raccoons, and opossum.

The tree is called sour gum in many areas because of the extremely bitter fruit that appears in the fall. Growing in clusters, the berries are blue-black in color. Many kinds of birds and mammals relish the tart fruit that often hangs on the limbs into the winter months.

The large tree is a picturesque figure in the winter when it flings stark horizontal branches in every direction. In the summer, polished green leaves shine like glass; but, as fall approaches, they take on a crimson hue that soon turns the branches to arms of fire. Against a backdrop of yellow hickories and poplars, the black gum presents a beautiful sight.

The wood of this tree is hard, cross-grained, and difficult to split, especially after drying a bit. It is used for pallets, rough floors, pulpwood and firewood.

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