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Black gum: mature size, roots and how far from the house to plant it
Black gum (tupelo), Nyssa sylvatica: how big it gets, what its roots do, and the planting distances to keep from a house, patio, septic field, sewer line and power lines, with a checker for your spot.
Black gum grows 40–70 ft tall and 20.7–35.5 ft wide, per NC State Extension. Plant it at least 18 ft from the house, 10 ft from a patio or driveway, 70 ft from a septic field and 20 ft from a sewer line. It grows too tall for under power lines. Checked Nov. 13, 2026.
Is your spot far enough away?
| House | — |
| Patio, driveway or walk | — |
| Septic field | — |
| Sewer line | — |
| Power lines | — |
Measure from the trunk. The rules behind each number are in the table below. Your township, utility or septic permit can set its own setbacks.
Black gum facts
| Mature height | 40–70 ft |
|---|---|
| Mature width | 20.7–35.5 ft |
| Size class | Large |
| Growth rate | Medium |
| Hardiness zones | 4a–9b |
| Light | Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day) |
| Soil | Clay; Good Drainage |
| Form | Columnar |
| Origin | Southern Ontario, Central and Eastern United States, and Mexico |
| Fall color | Gold/Yellow |
From NC State Extension. Its zone range includes zone 6, which covers most of central Pennsylvania; check your own with our hardiness zone by ZIP tool.
Black gum roots
Long taproot (NC State). NC State adds that it usually reaches 20 to 30 ft in cultivation.
How far to plant black gum from things
| From | Plant at least | The rule |
|---|---|---|
| House or building | 18 ft | Half the mature canopy width (eXtension) |
| Patio, driveway or walk | 10 ft | Large shade trees need at least 10 ft of rooting area (Iowa State) |
| Septic drain field | 70 ft | At least the root spread, estimated from mature height (Virginia Cooperative Extension), or the canopy width (University of Florida), and no closer than 20 ft for small trees (UMaine) |
| Sewer line or lateral | 20 ft | “Do not plant trees within 20 feet” of a sewer line (PA Water Environment Association) |
| Overhead power lines | 50 ft | Tall-growing trees at least 50 ft from lines (PPL Electric) |
| Retaining wall | 18 ft | At least 5 ft from the wall, with the canopy edge behind the wall (CMHA) |
Distances use the top of the size range, measured from the trunk. The full sources are in our tree planting distance guide.
Other large trees
50–70 ft tall, 30–50 ft wide. Plant 25 ft from the house.
40–60 ft tall, 35–45 ft wide. Plant 23 ft from the house.
60–75 ft tall, 40–50 ft wide. Plant 25 ft from the house.
60–70 ft tall, 40–50 ft wide. Plant 25 ft from the house.
60–75 ft tall, 60–75 ft wide. Plant 38 ft from the house.
50–80 ft tall, 100 ft wide. Plant 50 ft from the house.
How to identify black gum
| Leaf type | Alternate, simple leaves with smooth edges |
|---|---|
| Leaves | Glossy smooth-edged leaves 3 to 5 inches long, widest near the tip, sometimes with a few coarse teeth or shallow lobes near the end. |
| Bark | Gray-brown and furrowed; old trunks break into blocks like alligator hide. |
| Fruit | Dark purplish blue fruit about 1/2 inch long, ripe late summer into fall. |
| Twigs | Red-brown to gray twigs with pith divided by thin cross-walls, and curved spur shoots 1 to 2 inches long. |
The Pennsylvania Natural Heritage Program (PNHP) lists black gum as native to Pennsylvania.
Look-alikes: Common persimmon, Sourwood, Sweetgum.
Identification notes from the Virginia Tech Dendrology fact sheet, in our own words; status from the PNHP PA Vascular Plant List. See all 140 trees in our Pennsylvania tree identification guide.
Questions
How big does black gum get?
Black gum grows 40–70 ft tall and 20.7–35.5 ft wide at maturity, per NC State Extension. Growth rate: medium.
How far from the house should you plant black gum?
At least 18 ft, half of its 20.7–35.5 ft mature width, so the canopy clears the house. Keep it 10 ft from a patio or driveway.
Do black gum roots damage foundations, patios or pipes?
Long taproot (NC State). NC State adds that it usually reaches 20 to 30 ft in cultivation.
What zones does black gum grow in?
Black gum is listed for USDA zones 4a–9b by NC State Extension. That includes zone 6, which covers most of central Pennsylvania.
Can black gum go under power lines?
No. At 40–70 ft it outgrows the 25 ft limit for trees under lines; PPL says to plant tall-growing trees at least 50 ft from lines.
Sources: NC State Extension (Nyssa sylvatica); planting distances from the sources in our tree planting distance guide: eXtension, Morton Arboretum, Iowa State, University of Florida, Virginia Cooperative Extension, UMaine, PA Water Environment Association, PPL Electric, WV Forestry and CMHA. Checked Nov. 13, 2026.
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