Nyssa sylvatica fine and abundant and lies horizontally so that the foliage arrangement is not unlike that of the beech "(Fagus)". Its often spectacular autumnal coloring, with intense reds to purples, is highly valued in landscape settings. It is the most fiery and brilliant of the 'brilliant group' that includes maple, dogwood, sassafras, and sweet gum, as well as various species of tupelo. In the UK the cultivar ‘Wisley Bonfire’ has gained the Royal Horticultural Society’s Award of Garden Merit. "Nyssa sylvatica" is a major source of wild honey in many areas within its range. Hollow sections of black gum trunks were
Fagus sylvatica in the buds. In autumn, the tree builds the reserves that will sustain it into spring. Given good conditions, a bud can produce a shoot with up to ten or more leaves. The terminal bud emits a hormonal substance in the spring that halts the development of additional buds. This tendency, though very strong at the beginning of their existence, becomes weaker in older trees. It is only after the budding that root growth of the year begins. The first roots to appear are very thin (with a diameter of less than 0.5 mm). Later, after a wave of above