Probable hardiness USDA Zone 5a. Nyssa sylvatica Marshall. This tree can grow 9 to 15 meters or taller in height with a spread of 6 to 9 meters and is pyramidal in form when young. The dark green foliage of summer turns bright yellow to orange to scarlet to purple in the fall. The dark gray to black bark is broken into irregular ridges and blocks and has been referred to as having an alligator hide appearance.
Flowers are inconspicuous.
The primary ornamental values of this tree are its form, fall color, and bark. It makes a good specimen tree. N. sylvatica is native to the eastern U.S. and southern Ontario. Michigan near the northen edge of its range in Saginaw Co., Michigan. Probable hardiness USDA Zone 4b.