Gum bumelia is a deciduous shrub or small to medium tree that is found in the south-central USA and Mexico in the Sapodilla family. It naturally is found at the edges of woodlands, along streams and ponds, and in fencerows and abandoned pastures. The short branches form an oval crown and the tree may reach 45 feet tall and 30 feet wide. The branches often have thorns. The tree flowers in early summer with clusters of small white flowers in the axils of the leaves. Small fruits mature to black in the fall. This tree does well in sun to part shade in any well-drained soils including rocky ones. It is rarely used in landscapes and may be hard to find. However, it can be utilized in a naturalized setting. Insects, Diseases, and Other Plant Problems: No serious problems.
Curated pairwise relationships between this plant and others in the library — who feeds
whom, who competes, who confuses the pests. Green reads as a good pairing, red as one to avoid.
No curated interactions recorded for this species yet.
Also noted by NC State
Related species the NC State Plant Toolbox flags for this plant — look-alikes to tell
apart, and plants that play a similar role in a planting. Ones we carry in the library are linked.
Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day) | Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)
Soil texture
Sand; Shallow Rocky
Soil drainage
Good Drainage | Occasionally Dry | Very Dry
Available space
12-24 feet; 24-60 feet
Mature size
Height: 15 ft. 0 in. - 45 ft. 0 in. | Width: 10 ft. 0 in. - 30 ft. 0 in.
Growth rate
Medium
Maintenance
Low
Canopy layer
1 - Canopy (>40 ft)
Form & Appearance
Texture
Coarse
Foliage
Deciduous
Leaf type
Simple
Leaf arrangement
Alternate
Leaf shape
Oblong; Obovate
Leaf margin
Entire
Leaf size
1-3 inches long, < 1 inch wide
Hairs present
Yes
Leaf detail
2-3" long and 1 inch wide oblong to obovate are alternate or in clusters on the stem. The tip and base are both tapered. Margins are entire and rolled down. The undersides are hairy. Unexceptional yellow fall color.
Fall color
Gold/Yellow; Insignificant
Flower color
White
Flower value
Showy
Flower form
Insignificant
Flower size
< 1 inch
Flower detail
Tiny 5-petaled white flowers appear in clusters in leaf axils on short hairy stems.
Bloom time
Summer
Fruit color
Black
Fruit type
Berry
Fruit value
Showy
Fruit size
< 1 inch long, < 1 inch wide
Fruit detail
1/2" long slender shiny globular black fruits mature in the fall with a single seed inside. Occurs singly or in groups of 2-3.
Bark color
Dark Brown; Dark Gray
Bark detail
The bark is brown to gray with flattened ridges and deep furrows on mature trees
Stem color
Brown/Copper
Stem detail
Short stout hairy branches have sharp thorns and exude a milky sap.
Wildlife & Ecology
Native status
Unknown
Origin
South central U.S.A. and Mexico
Distribution
AZ , LA , NM , OK , TX
Wildlife value
Wildlife will eat the fruit and bees visit the flowers
Attracts
Songbirds
Play value
Attracts Pollinators; Wildlife Food Source
Food & Medicine
Harvest time
Fall
Fruit type
Berry
Edibility
Fruit is edible but should be eaten in small quantities to prevent belly aches.
Uses (ethnobotany)
The Kiowa and Comanche tribes use the fruit for food and a substance in the outer bark as chewing gum.
Landscape Use
Landscape location
Naturalized Area; Riparian; Woodland
Landscape theme
Drought Tolerant Garden
Design feature
Small Tree
Garden tags
#stream banks #milky sap #showy fruits #showy flowers #deciduous #low maintenance #drought tolerant #white flowers #small tree #summer flowers #black fruits #fruits fall #deciduous tree #rocky soils tolerant #bird friendly #dry soils tolerant #wildlife friendly #woodland