Virginia Tech Dendrology

Ogeechee tupelo Cornaceae Nyssa ogeche W. Bartram ex Marshall symbol: NYOG
Leaf: Alternate, simple, deciduous, pinnately veined, 4 to 6 inches long, oblong to obovate, usually entire margin or may be sparsely toothed, generally rounded tip, pale and somewhat pubescent below.
Flower: Small, greenish white, males in hanging clusters, females solitary on long stalks, appearing with the leaves.
Fruit: A reddish drupe, 1 to 1 1/2 inches long and tear-shaped, edible sour flesh surrounds a deeply grooved pit; the largest of the Nyssa fruits, may be showy when produced in abundance.
Twig: Stout, yellow-brown to red-brown, somewhat pubescent, narrowly heart-shaped leaf scar, terminal bud red-brown 1/4 inch, pith diaphragmed.
Bark: Brownish gray, scaly ridges or even blocky (somewhat variable).
Form: Generally shrubby, may form a small tree to 65 feet.
Looks like: water tupelo - swamp tupelo - blackgum

Additional Range Information: Nyssa ogeche is native to North America. Range may be expanded by planting. Download the full-size PDF map.
External Links: USDAFS Silvics of North America - USDA Plants Database - Horticulture Information - USDAFS Forest Products Lab
All material 2025 Virginia Tech Dept. of Forest Resources and Environmental Conservation; Photos and text by: John Seiler, Edward Jensen, Alex Niemiera, and John Peterson; Silvics reprinted from Ag Handbook 654; range map source information