Buds are imbricate. Flowers are inconspicuous and borne in May or June. Fruit is a blue-black drupe that matures in October. Nyssa sylvatica The blackgum, often call sourgum, has been considered a weed in the forest due to the low value of the lumber in Ohio. In the lowlands it is occasionally found in year-round swamps with elm and in the hills and on dryer slopes with oaks and hickories.
Leaves are glossy, deep green above and somewhat bloomy beneath.
Leaves are oval but may be broader near the apex, shiny, and dark green in color. Leaf margins are generally entire but sometimes are slightly toothed. In the fall, the leaves turn a brilliant red. Buds are imbricate. Twigs have distinctively diaphragmed pith.