Black Tupelo

Name	Black Tupelo (Nyssa sylvatica)
Type	Hardwood.
Other Names	Also known as black gum, tupelo gum, yellow gum, lau tau, resak, sour gum, pepperidge, and wild pear tree.
Sources	Grows in eastern half of United States.
Appearance	Close, interlocked grain with a fine uniform texture. Light brownish gray heartwood and a very wide, lighter colored sapwood.
Physical Props	Tough, moderately heavy, hard, and strong with low stiffness, steam bending, shock resistance, and decay resistance.
Working Props	Challenging to work due to interlocked grain. Tends to burn during turning. Difficult to split and nail - pre-drilling recommended. Glues satisfactorily. Finishes easily to a smooth, shiny surface.
Uses	Used for inexpensive furniture, furniture components, boxes, crates, baskets, cooperage, food containers, industrial flooring, rollers, caskets, sash, doors, blocks, gun stocks, railroad crossties, and pulp.