Nyssa yunnanensis is a large tropical tree endemic to the southern regions of the Chinese province of Yunnan, particularly Xishuangbanna and Dehong, at the northern boundary of the Chinese tropical zone. Two populations exist in Xishuangbanna both with less than 10 mature individuals, however, only one of these mature trees has produced seedlings in the wild. There are 6 mature individuals in six sites across Dehong, however these mature trees are very fragmented and no seedlings have been produced in the wild from this population. These remaining populations are mainly found on the borders of secondary forests close to farmland, villages and roads all of which have high levels of human disturbance and therefore contribute to poor regeneration. As a result, this species is listed as Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List.