Nyssa aquatica - Water Tupelo

From swampy areas of the south-eastern United States, Nyssa aquatica is a large, deciduous tree with a broadly columnar, pyramidal habit and a rounded crown; the trunk has a swollen base. The big ovate to oblong leaves are green, often downy underneath, turning brilliant pink and red in autumn. In late spring, unobtrusive greenish-white flowers appear, and these are followed, on mature trees, by dark purple fruits, 1”/2.5cm long. Also known as the cotton gum, water tupelo is a rare tree in these islands, and an interesting choice where land floods or is boggy.