Gum Bumelia

The Gum Bumelia (Sideroxylon lanuginosum) is a shrub or small tree of the family Sapotaceae. It is widely distributed in the sunbelt states in the United States and in Mexico. It’s a small tree up to 40 feet in height with an open crown and branches growing close to the ground. They are sometimes mistaken for little Live Oak trees when they are “saplings”. At full growth they are small to medium size trees around 30 feet tall with a narrow crown. The Texas state record is 80 feet in Robertson County. There are several varieties of Gum Bumelia in Texas.

The LEAVES are alternate, elliptical or obovate, 1-3 inch long, entire margin, rounded tip and tapering base, dark green, shiny-glabrous above with white-gray, felt-like hair below; clustered or whorled on lateral spur shoots.

The FLOWER is monoecious; inconspicuous, white, in small clusters. The sweet and fragrant flowers open mid-summer. This blooming habit makes it an attractive addition for the landscape. The FRUIT are blue to black berries, oval in shape, edible, ripen in the fall. The TWIGS are slender, gray or rusty-hairy, often armed with thorns at the tips. The BARK is gray to brown, becoming darker with age.

One of the interesting facts of the Gum Bumelia is the many names trees in its family have been given; such as, Black Haw, Chittamwood, Chittimwood or Shittamwood, False Buckthorn, Gum Elastic, Gum Woolybucket, Woolybucket Bumelia, Wooly Buckthorn, Wooly Bumelia, and Ironwood. Biblical scholars will recognize a few of the names here and should get outs the Nave’s Topical Bible to see what the Ark of the Covenant was built from. The wood is very strong and sealed from moisture by its sap content.

This is a great addition to a WILDLIFE garden. The fruit attracts a wild variety of birds and small mammals while the thorns provide protection from predators . Note, the tree has thorns most everywhere. The fragrant flowers attract bees and butterflies.