The Latin name Nyssa is a name of a water nymph. Though not as much as N. aquatica , N. sylvatica is a water-loving plant. This little kettle pool in the Blue Hills dries out during the summer, but stays wet during the rest of the year. The center of the kettle is inhabited by a tupelo family with characteristic forking tops. Unlike many other trees, tupelos decline with age from the top down, getting shorter, as they approach their life-span limit.