Nyssa sylvatica

Native from southern Ontario through the central and eastern United States to Mexico, it is a deciduous tree reaching about forty to seventy feet tall. Its brilliant autumn foliage ranges through yellow, orange, purple, and scarlet red. Small greenish flowers appear in spring, and female trees can develop blue-black fruits. It occurs in upland woods, on slopes, and near wetland margins. Its flowers supply nectar for bees, and the fruits are important food for migrating songbirds. Natural hollows shelter bats, reptiles and tree frogs. Photographed in Ecuador.