Gum Bumelia

Sideroxylon lanuginosum

Sapotaceae (Sapodilla Family)

Gum Bully, Woollybucket Bumelia, Woolly Bumelia, Gum Woollybucket, Woolly Buckthorn, Chittamwood, Shittamwood, Gum Elastic, Coma, Black Haw

Sue Carnahan, https://portal.torcherbaria.org/portal/taxa/index.php?taxon=Sideroxylon+lanuginosum&formsubmit=Search+Terms

Plant Ecoregion Distribution Map

Native Habitat: Woodland

Central Great Plains, Chihuahuan Deserts, Cross Timbers, Edwards Plateau, Gulf Coast Prairies and Marshes, Texas Blackland Prairies, Western Gulf Coastal Plain

Maintenance

Little maintenance required. Prune to raise canopy over walkways if needed. Leaf litter can be left in beds as mulch.

Comments

Gum Bumelia is a multi-trunked tall shrub or medium-sized tree to 48 feet tall or more. The flowers are small, fragrant, and bloom in clusters. This is a valuable wildlife resource. Blue to purplish berries ripen in the fall and are eaten by birds and small mammals.

Growth Form

Tree

Height

35 to

45 ft

Spread

10 to

30 ft

Soil Type(s)

Sand, Loam, Clay, Well Drained, Dry

Light Requirement

Sun, Part Shade

Water Requirement

Low, Medium

Leaf Retention

Evergreen

Lifespan

Perennial

Bloom Color

White

Bloom Season

Spring

Seasonal Interest

Fruit, Forage, Nectar

Wildlife Benefit

Birds, Small Mammals, Deer, Bees

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References

1) Griffith, Bryce, Omernick & Rodgers (2007). Ecoregions of Texas. 2) https://www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=SILA20. 3) https://portal.torcherbaria.org/portal/taxa/index.php?taxon=Sideroxylon+lanuginosum&formsubmit=Search+Terms. 4) http://bonap.net/TDC/Image/Map?taxonType=Species&taxonId=22837&locationType=County&mapType=Normal, 5) https://www.itis.gov/servlet/SingleRpt/SingleRpt?search_topic=TSN&search_value=505219#null

Native Plant Society of Texas