Swamp Tupelo
Nyssa biflora
Found in swamps; pocosins and bay forests. FloraQuest, phone app (app page) What its natural habitat tells you
73
Strong
Native to Florida. How scores work Is it native here?
Profile 100%
- Height
- 60–100 feet
- Spread
- 20–40 feet
- Light
- Full sun, Partial shade
- Soil moisture
- Usually moist
Space about 30 ft apart from its recorded spread. Enter your bed size for a count
Will it fit your yard?
At a glance
- Life cycle
- Woody perennial
- Leaves
- Deciduous
- Bloom
- April to June
- Fruiting season
- August to October
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Recorded in 59 Florida counties.
Natural habitats
Places it grows wild. Not a planting requirement. Each habitat page lists the plants and wildlife also found there.
1 of 2
Dense evergreen shrub wetlands and bay forests on wet, acid peat of the Coastal Plain.
Also found with this plant
Wildlife whose habitat models include habitats this plant grows in, in Florida. Shared habitat, not food. 184 animals.
- Black-and-White WarblerMniotilta varia
- Black-bellied Whistling-DuckDendrocygna autumnalis
- Blue JayCyanocitta cristata
- Blue-gray GnatcatcherPolioptila caerulea
- Cedar WaxwingBombycilla cedrorum
- Common YellowthroatGeothlypis trichas
- Double-crested CormorantPhalacrocorax auritus
- Downy WoodpeckerPicoides pubescens
- Fish CrowCorvus ossifragus
- Golden-crowned KingletRegulus satrapa
- Hairy WoodpeckerPicoides villosus
- LimpkinAramus guarauna
- Magnificent FrigatebirdFregata magnificens
- MallardAnas platyrhynchos
- Northern ShovelerAnas clypeata
- Purple FinchCarpodacus purpureus
- Snowy EgretEgretta thula
- Song SparrowMelospiza melodia
- Spotted SandpiperActitis macularius
- Swallow-tailed KiteElanoides forficatus
- White-throated SparrowZonotrichia albicollis
- Yellow-bellied SapsuckerSphyrapicus varius
- Yellow-billed CuckooCoccyzus americanus
- American GoldfinchCarduelis tristis
Ecological relationships
Who uses this plant?
70CaterpillarsGenus host records with ranges including FL
Genus host records with ranges including FL · Nyssa
- Acharia stimuleaSaddleback Caterpillar Moth
- Achatia distinctaDistinct Quaker
- Acronicta afflictaAfflicted Dagger
- Acronicta funeralisFunerary Dagger, Paddle Caterpillar
- Acronicta impletaYellow-Haired Dagger
- Actias lunaLuna Moth
- Actrix nyssaecolellaTupelo Leaffolder
- Adoneta spinuloidesPurple-Crested Slug
- Allotria elonymphaFalse Underwing
- Alsophila pometariaFall Cankerworm Moth
Show all 70
- Amorbia humerosanaWhite-Lined Leafroller Moth
- Amphipyra pyramidoidesMiranda Underwing, Copper Underwing, Copper Amphipyra
- Antispila nysaefoliellaTupelo Leafminer Moth
- Argyrotaenia quercifolianaYellow-Winged Oak Leafroller Moth, Lined Oak Leafroller
- Argyrotaenia velutinanaRed-Banded Leafroller Moth, Jack Pine Tube Moth
- Cecrita biundataWavy-Lined Heterocampa
- Cecrita guttivittaMaple Prominent, Saddled Prominent
- Celastrina neglectaSummer Azure
- Cenopis directanaChokecherry Leafroller Moth
- Choristoneura rosaceanaOblique-Banded Leafroller Moth, Rosaceous Leaf Roller
- Citheronia regalisRoyal Walnut Moth, Hickory Horned Devil
- Cleora sublunariaDouble-Lined Gray
- Coelodasys unicornisUnicorn Caterpillar Moth
- Darapsa choerilusAzalea Sphinx
- Elasmopalpus lignosellaLesser Cornstalk Borer
- Ennomos subsignariaElm Spanworm Moth
- Episimus argutanaSumac Leaftier
- Euclea delphiniiSpiny Oak-Slug Moth
- Eupithecia fletcherataFletcher's Eupithecia
- Eupithecia jejunataSwift Pug
- Eupithecia miserulataCommon Eupithacia, Common Pug
- Eutrapela clematariaCurved-Tooth Geometer, Purplish Brown Looper
- Glenoides texanariaTexas Gray
- Halysidota tessellarisBanded Tussock Moth, Pale Tiger Moth
- Hyalophora cecropiaCecropia Silkmoth, Cecropia Moth
- Hydriomena transfigurataTransfigured Hydriomena
- Hypagyrtis unipunctataOne-Spotted Variant
- Hypena bijugalisDimorphic Bomolocha, Dimorphic Snout
- Hyphantria cuneaFall Webworm
- Iridopsis defectariaBrown-Shaded Gray, Willow Looper
- Isa textulaCrowned Slug
- Kocakina fidelisIntractable Quaker, Green Fruitworm, Fourlined Green Fruitworm
- Lambdina fervidariaCurve-Lined Looper Moth
- Lithacodes fasciolaYellow-Shouldered Slug
- Lithophane antennataAshen Pinion
- Malacosoma americanaEastern Tent Caterpillar
- Malacosoma disstriaForest Tent Caterpillar
- Melanolophia canadariaCanadian Melanolphia, Variable Redmarked Looper
- Melanolophia signatariaSignate Melanolphia
- Morrisonia confusaConfused Woodgrain
- Natada nasoniNason's Slug Moth
- Oedemasia concinnaRed-Humped Caterpillar, Red-Humped Appleworm
- Oedemasia leptinoidesBlack-Blotched Schizura
- Olethreutes fasciatanaBanded Olethreutes
- Oneida lunulalisOrange-Tufted Oneida
- Orgyia leucostigmaWhite-Marked Tussock Moth
- Palthis angulalisDark-Spotted Palthis
- Papilio cresphontesEastern Giant Swallowtail
- Phigalia strigatariaSmall Phigalia, Small Oak Looper
- Plagodis alcoolariaHollow-Spotted Plagodis
- Polygrammate cadburyiCadbury's Lichen Moth, Cadbury's Mystique
- Polygrammate hebraeicumThe Hebrew
- Probole alienariaDogwood Probole, Alien Probole
- Prolimacodes badiaSkiff Moth, Skiff Caterpillar
- Sereda tautanaSpeckled Sereda
- Synanthedon rubrofasciaBlack Gun Borer
- Tetracis cachexiataWhite Slant-Line
- Actrix dissimulatrix
- Chionodes pereyra
- Ectoedemia nyssaefoliella
2BeesSoutheastern regional records
Southeastern regional records · Nyssa
Individual names are not available yet.
Noori, Seltmann & Orr 2026, A curated and integrated dataset for exploring global bee-plant interactions (GloBI), Zenodo, CC BY 4.0
0Specialist beesPollen specialists
10BirdsRecorded genus food-resource interactions; not a state feeding claim
Recorded genus food-resource interactions; not a state feeding claim · Nyssa
- Hylocichla mustelinaWood Thrush
- Turdus migratoriusAmerican Robin
- Bonasa umbellusRuffed Grouse
- Catharus fuscescensVeery
- Catharus guttatusHermit Thrush
- Catharus minimus/bicknelliGray-cheeked/Bicknell's Thrush
- Mareca streperaGadwall
- Meleagris gallopavoWild Turkey
- Sialia sialisEastern Bluebird
- Sturnus vulgarisEuropean Starling
Direct food only: birds recorded eating this genus across North America. Caterpillars on host plants also feed nesting birds. NC Native Plant Society: butterfly gardening
No records yet · Ants · Beetles · Flies · Adult butterflies / moths · Other wasps · Other insects
Growing and identification
Plant details
- Family
- Nyssaceae
- Soil pH
- Acidic
- Flower color
- Green or white
- Growth rate
- Moderate
- Growth habit
- Single stem
- Foliage color
- Green
- Fruit begins
- August
- Fruit ends
- October
Safety has not been reviewed for this plant; check toxicity and thorns before planting.
Growing sources and scope
- Bloom · “April to June” · FloraQuest: Carolinas, Georgia (Southeastern Flora Team), phone app (app page) (ranked first; USDA PLANTS differs) · Carolinas and Georgia
- Flower color · “Green or white” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox (ranked first; USDA PLANTS differs)
- Foliage color · “Green” · USDA PLANTS · Nationwide species characteristics; local growing conditions may vary
- Fruit begins · “August” · FloraQuest: Carolinas, Georgia (Southeastern Flora Team), phone app (app page) (ranked first; USDA PLANTS differs) · Carolinas and Georgia
- Fruit ends · “October” · FloraQuest: Carolinas, Georgia (Southeastern Flora Team), phone app (app page) (ranked first; USDA PLANTS differs) · Carolinas and Georgia
- Growth habit · “Single stem” · USDA PLANTS · Nationwide species characteristics; local growing conditions may vary
- Growth rate · “Moderate” · USDA PLANTS · Nationwide species characteristics; local growing conditions may vary
- Height · “60–100 feet” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox (ranked first; USDA PLANTS differs)
- Leaves · “Deciduous” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox
- Life cycle · “Woody perennial” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox
- Light · “Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day); Partial shade (direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox
- Soil · “Moist; Occasionally wet” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox
- Soil pH · “Acidic” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox
- Spread · “20–40 feet” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox
Also known as
Nyssa sylvatica var. biflora; Swamp Gum
Conservation status
| Florida rank | S5 |
|---|---|
| Global rank | G5 |
| FL status | Not verified |
| Federal status | Not verified |
In your garden
Will it fit your yard?
Check this plant against your county, sun and soil moisture. Conditions are checked in your browser.
Choose a county to begin.
Sources
- Atlas of Florida Plants
- USDA PLANTS
- Vascular Plants of North Carolina (NC Natural Heritage Program)
- FloraQuest: Carolinas, Georgia (Weakley), phone app (app page)
- FloraQuest: South Central (Weakley), phone app (app page)
- FloraQuest: Florida (Weakley), phone app (app page)
- FloraQuest: Northern Tier (Weakley), phone app (app page)
- NatureServe Explorer
- Shropshire & Tallamy 2025, Lepidoptera of North America north of Mexico, ZooKeys 1261 (ODbL)
- Noori, Seltmann & Orr 2026, A curated and integrated dataset for exploring global bee-plant interactions (GloBI), Zenodo, CC BY 4.0
- Smith, Bachelder, Russell, Morales, Mosher & Seltmann 2024, Bee-Specialization-Modeling v0.6.1 (specialist host table compiled from J. Fowler's pollen specialist bee lists), Zenodo, CC BY 4.0
- Hurlbert, Olsen, Sawyer & Winner 2021, Avian Diet Database, Scientific Data 8: 260 (CC0)
- Narango, Tallamy & Shropshire 2020, Few keystone plant genera support the majority of Lepidoptera species, Nature Communications