Well, they look nice in the woods :)

how big at planting.. how much has it grown since planting.. is it telephone poled? ..

can we see some pix ...

full color can be a function of a mature root mass ... and if tree time is counted in decades.. its still a babe at 5 years post planting ...

was it bare root or potted.. did you barre root it ... are we rather sure it doesnt have circling roots ...

do you do anything to the lawn... like weed care etc???

ken

I almost want to see pics of your tree to verify identification.

Did you ever see your tree with fall color at the nursery before purchasing it? The straight species Nyssa sylvatica can occasionally be "inconsistent" with fall color, as I've seen a few wild examples that only turn to a dull yellow in fall instead of the typical bright red.

Does your tree show the reddish new growth in spring that typifies the 'Wildfire' cultivar? If not, perhaps there's a potential yours was a mislabeled wild type? I know Wildfire was selected mainly for its fast/dense growth rate and the reddish tips in spring, but I would still imagine the red fall color is pretty solid/reliable on it given how popular the cultivar is.

I have 'Green Gable' and 'Northern Splendor' on my property ,and with the exception of the initial autumn after planting each, they have colored up consistently and spectacularly every year (although the timing can vary quite a bit).

This was my 'Green Gable' in early October, 2022 (at about 60% of "peak color"), four years after planting:

Fall color isn't always a certainty. I bought a tree once that was coloring well in the nursery where I bought it. At home once planted, it never colored well.

Did you plant it in full sun, bengz6westmd?

OP, like an earlier poster, I'm also wondering if your Nyssa sylvatica is really a Nyssa sylvatica.

Wildfire holds its leaves relatively late in the fall, and as a result (in my area at least) usually experiences temps well below freezing before it develops good color. Sounds like that's what's happening at your location as well.

So 'Mildfire" rather than 'Wildfire'.

My Nyssa sylvatica is orange in the fall. It is lovely. Can't seem to upload a photo. Will keep trying.

I'll second the less striking fall color of Wildfire. Part because you get used to the red in that spot during most of thebspring and summer. Part because mine doesn't turn as red as the main species.

Still if you have one it is a striking tree and nothing wrong with moving some fall color to June.

I have 2 'Wildfire' Nyssa Sylvatica trees on my property. Each year they color late (I too was informed they'd have spectacular color, and would be one of the earliest to show fall foliage). I live in the North Shore of Massachusetts in Zone 6b as well. Wildfire holds its leaves longer than the species, so a hard frost may affect leaf color, which isn't good in colder climates.

I'm adding a Nyssa Sylvatica 'Green Gable' to our property in the next week or so.. I have read that Northern Splendor and Afterburner color earlier, and both have superior fall foliage for those looking.

Below are three photos of one of my trees from last year on two separate days in early November (Nyssa Wildfire).

On a final note, it took 10 years for my Flax Mill Majesty Sugar Maple to finally show its stunning fall color. I nearly replaced it, and would have, if my husband didn't ask me to wait. Sometimes, trees need many years in the ground to truly develop.

These images are from November 6, 2022

This image is from November 10, 2022.

I have green gable and wildfire. As mentioned above I haven’t gotten much fall color at all with my wildfire. The leaves do hold on longer and have been gradually just browning out around fall. I’ve had wildfire and green gable for 3 years. green gable got decent color last year. It was very red. I wouldn’t say it was better than the straight species fall color. But my tree is still on the smaller side maybe 7 feet so that coloring may look more impressive when the tree has more of a presence. Planted an afterburner this year because I read two 2 articles stating it has the best fall color. Part of me think you may have gotten wildfire. Post pics of your tree for us

Since some of you asked for photos; here's a closeup of my Nyssa in Spring; The new growth is decidedly red but I get no fall color because the tree's leaves stay on the branches until December when it is already cold, and then the leaves turn brown with no fall color.

My Nyssa is at least 15 feet tall and perhaps 12 or 13 feet wide.

My Nyssa with a Kousa Dogwood directly opposite. The Nyssa is much taller and my neighbor's Kousa planted exactly on his side (directly south of my tree) of the property line is encroaching onto my airspace of the Nyssa.. I had the courtesy to plant my tree 15 feet from the property line. My neighbor not so considerate.

Do you like your neighbors tree? I could be wrong about this, but it seems the Nyssa is positioned to do well with the Cornus. Could it make for a nice combo?

I generally like Cornus. I do not like that it is planted on the property line because it encroaches on my growing space. I know I have the option of pruning away the branches over on my side of the property line but also don't want to disfigure the neighbor's tree.

November photo of the Nyssa---the dark green tree next to the large gold sugar maple. Even when all of the other trees are completely defoliated, the Nyssa leaves will be green and fully attached to the tree until at least December.

I agree with the late fall color. Mine does participate though and seems ahead of yours.

Pics from five minutes ago, 10/27.

For comparison, most of the maples in my yard are not to peak yet except for that dull yellow acer rubrum in the background. My scarlet oak is about 1/4 way there.one metasequoia is half way, my Ogon (not in the pic) looks like it did in July, the Kornus Floridas seem past peak, the ash and walnuts are done.

Replying to Ken, No my Nyssa Wildfire is not telephone poled. I don't do any fertilization or lawn chemicals in my backyard where this tree is planted in full sun (see photo in this thread). The root ball was balled and burlap when planted (as I recall) and the tree has grown significantly since I planted it ten years ago. Its growth appears to be robust. AJ Princeton in this thread noted that Michael Dirr had commented on Wildfire's disappointing fall color. I will say it despite the annoyance of having the leaves stay on the tree until after all other trees leaves are down and fall cleanup has been done, the dark green leaves remaining on Nyssa Sylvatica Wildfire beyond late autumn do make for a nice contrast in color setting off the other fall colors of deciduous trees.

For comparison: This is ’Autumn Cascade’, with Metasequoia in the background beginning to turn. pic taken a couple of days ago.

Northern Virginia in my neighborhood. Assuming this is black gum. Nothing else gets quite this red except a few maples and maybe dogwood, burning bush.

My green gable is looking great in its third fall! The first two years had me nervous because it wasn’t great. This is the first time it’s looked better than all the straight species in my neighborhood my neighborhood. As usual my wildfire is green lol. What you miss in the fall you gain in the spring and summer with the colors. I also planted a afterburner this summer because from all my nyssa reading it was said to have the best fall colors. I put a lot of effort into finding the afterburner, which was hard to come by in the Philadelphia area.

They look good Jim! Where did you find the Afterburner? I'm looking for 2-3 different Nyssa's and located in Montgomery County not far from you.

Thanks,

Will

Conestoga nursery in east earl will. I was looking for a Appalachian red redbud and they carried that as well as the afterburner. The owner told when I called that they wouldn’t be for sale until the fall or following spring. I found him when I went this summer and told him I’d pay whatever price to get it now. He had one out that looks like it will need pruning for the central leader and ended up being root-bound. Beggars can’t be choosers so I took it. It’s being doing great. Afterburner is also referred to as David Odom. I called all over for this tree and this was the only place that had it.

Thanks for the info Jim, I'll have to check them out. I guess by now that they are probably closed for the season until spring. Did they have many cultivars of Nyssa in smaller sizes,#5- #7 pots, and how is pricing?

Thanks again,

Will

Will I would have paid a lot of money for both those trees after the extensive search. So I didn’t pay too much attention but the place was reasonable. I talked to a landscaper from the main line who would drive out there for his trees and shrubs because it saved him money compared to local berserkers in Philadelphia. The nyssa was in a small pot and the redbud was balled and burlapped. They mainly had green gable in pots and maybe some wildfires.

Thanks Jim!

I'll most likely pay them a visit in the spring.

Will

I'll add a few words about my experiences out here in Oregon. I bought the plain species in Oct. of 2021. I chose this particular specimen because the foliage was completely red in its 3 gal pot at a local plant nursery, Dancing Oaks. Now in my garden in fall of 2022, it was a mix of yellow, orange and brown, leaves dropping as they turned, not very impressive. This fall we had a mild frost on Oct 30 (29.5F) which turned the top half of the tree sickly blackish-green. The bottom half colored up OK, with a mix of yellow & orange but the leaves dropped continuously as they colored, from the interior of the tree out to the tips. Again not very impressive. It has been growing incredibly fast, over 3 feet of growth this year, and it kept growing right up through late October. This probably has something to do with the poor fall color. The frost sensitivity is kind of a puzzler to me though.

I was back at Dancing Oaks last week and they had another unnamed seedling, a female, growing in their display gardens with the most incredibly glossy leaves that I've ever seen on a Nyssa. The fall color was a gorgeous mixture of bright, reddish orange and gold, and the tree was loaded with beautiful, bloomy, blue fruit. I wish they would name and propagate this tree, but nobody is interested in female Nyssa cultivars, most likely. My tree has very dull, non-glossy foliage, and the contrast is dramatic.

Based on the comments above and the dramatic differences observed among seedlings, I think a lot more progress could be made towards superior selections of this species.

Nov 14 in zone 6B, my swamp (Acer Rubrum) maple leaves are all down; my oak leaves mostly down; Honey locust leaves all down; Beech leaves hanging on as usual, and my Nyssa Sylvatica Wildfire is completely green (except a small amount of leaves from this season's new growth) with no leaf drop whatsoever. Consistent with prior years. Anyone else have a Nyssa "Wildfire" that is losing its leaves now? If so, what zone?

OK, I could only restrain myself for three days. I must comment - with information for @artinnature.

It would be great to see images of tree described above; I especially would love to see the "...incredibly glossy leaves...gorgeous mixture of bright, reddish orange and gold...loaded with beautiful, bloomy, blue fruit..."

That's Nyssa sylvatica Red Rage®, to a "T".

The fruit are tart and tasty, with a single smooth oblong seed inside.

I would posit that the nursery you visited planted a Red Rage® some time ago (it has been marketed for quite some time), and that it has matured into a fine plant, blooming, and setting its attractive fruit.

There many named selections of Nyssa sylvatica out in circulation; in Seneca Park in Louisville, we have planted a collection of (now) 30 distinct taxa. At least four (Afterburner®, Carolyn, Red Rage®, Winning Colors) are female.

J. Frank Schmidt Nursery has long tested promising individuals of this species, and have released their own named selections as well as producing other great plants from around the country. They list 6 or 7 taxa, with excellent pictures and descriptions of their traits.

Here are some additional Nyssa images from this weekend in Lexington KY.

Tough to find a bad one...

@ViburnumValley central KY Bluegrass z6, I have three images but the only way you're going to see them is if you provide your email or phone. I'm game if you are.

???

There is a messaging feature here at Houzz - if your intent is to not show them to anyone else - where you could send them to me.

Not sure what the game is...

No games, I'm unable to post pics here, but I am able to text or email them. I don't know anything about the messaging feature.

So yeah, we had a good freeze 2 or 3 weeks ago then mil weather.

Or maybe it heard me talkin bout it.

VV, interesting that Red Rage produces fruit at your location, I can't recall seeing any fruit on the small number of Red Rage we've planted here. The online references I've checked, including Schmidt and Dirr, say that RR is a male and seedless.

I do not disagree with your statement, @arbordave (SE MI), and I will happily amend/edit my list of fruiting selections. I'm aware of Dirr's, Schmidt's, AND

Oops. CONTINUED FROM ABOVE...

AND from the individual who discovered, selected, and named Red Rage. That same person identified this individual tree planted in his neighborhood (pictured in my first post) as Red Rage.

Now: that could be an ID error. That tree could be Afterburner. Alternatively, there might be some polygamo-dioecious-ness going on. More observations will likely, er, bear fruit.

"there might be some polygamo-dioecious-ness going on" sounds like a possibility. The tree you posted looks a lot like the RRs I've seen (aside from the fruit) in terms of general crown shape, branching, and foliage. Here's a photo I took last week (11/8/23) of one of our RRs

planted this Tupelo Tower Black Gum tree 6 years ago

Has grown about 2 feet per year. Photo taken October 30, 2023.

Interesting thread. I came here trying to learn why this year my Wildfires were so terrible, when last year the fall color was other-worldly. If there is such a thing as neon red, that was last year's color. This year, oddly, one of my wildfires had *one* leaf turn that color, early in the season, then the rest of the foliage proceeded to stay on well into November and turn ugly brown. I assumed it was due to some weather problem, or maybe because my soil is poor and the tree finally figured it out (i.e. depleted the nursery ball soil...if that's a thing that happens). I would love to know how to get the color back - it's amazing! FWIW the spring color was quite beautiful this year, a lovely glossy reddish green (bot nothing like the neon fall). - EDIT I am in coastal CT, zone 6b/7a and was able to attach a photo of my single red Wildfire leaf from October 5th, it was followed 6 weeks later by becoming a brown tree. But last year the entire tree was this color.