Trees, Shrubs and Woody Vines
Media
![Illustration of honey locust leaves, thorns, fruit.](/sites/default/files/styles/media_library/public/mo_nature/media/field-guide/Honey_Locust_Gleditsia_triacanthos.jpg?itok=A9qWHolY)
Species Types
Scientific Name
Gleditsia triacanthos
Description
Though it doesn’t reach a stately size, honey locust commands respect for its many large, strong, usually branched thorns, which can puncture tractor tires as easily as they can poke through tennis shoes! The long, leathery, twisting pods are relished by cattle and by wildlife.
Media
![Illustration of eastern redbud leaves, flowers, fruits.](/sites/default/files/styles/media_library/public/mo_nature/media/field-guide/Eastern_Redbud_Cercis_canadensis.jpg?itok=bqB1UEql)
Species Types
Scientific Name
Cercis canadensis
Description
Eastern redbud is a native shrub or small tree that is distinctly ornamental in spring with small, clustered, rose-purple flowers covering the bare branches before the leaves.
Media
![Illustration of mimosa leaves, flowers, fruit.](/sites/default/files/styles/media_library/public/mo_nature/media/field-guide/Mimosa_Albizia_julibrissin.jpg?itok=NWmrqbSp)
Species Types
Scientific Name
Albizia julibrissin
Description
Grown as an ornamental for its attractive pink flower clusters, gracefully spreading branches, and delicate leaves, mimosa is easily propagated and grows rapidly. Unfortunately, it is also an invasive exotic in much of the state.
Media
![Illustration of green ash leaf.](/sites/default/files/styles/media_library/public/mo_nature/media/field-guide/Green_Ash_Fraxinus_pennsylvanica.jpg?itok=XC359GG1)
Species Types
Scientific Name
Fraxinus pennsylvanica
Description
Green ash is one of the most widely planted shade trees around homes and along streets. In the wild, it lives along streams and in low grounds. Sadly, it is one of the trees most vulnerable to the emerald ash borer, an exotic invasive pest.
Media
![Illustration of white ash leaf, fruit.](/sites/default/files/styles/media_library/public/mo_nature/media/field-guide/White_Ash_Fraxinus_americana.jpg?itok=b0ZVB1SE)
Species Types
Scientific Name
Fraxinus americana
Description
White ash leaves turn shades of yellow and purple in fall, and that is one reason it has been a popular landscaping tree. Many birds and mammals feed on the paddle-shaped seeds.
Media
![Illustration of black walnut compound leaf and nuts.](/sites/default/files/styles/media_library/public/mo_nature/media/images/2014/12/black_walnut_juglans_nigra.jpg?itok=jLLDdcnI)
Species Types
Scientific Name
Juglans nigra
Description
Easily Missouri’s most valuable tree, the black walnut provides the finest wood in the world, as well as delicious nuts. Both are in high demand and thus form an important part of Missouri’s economy.
Media
![amur corktree](/sites/default/files/styles/media_library/public/mo_nature/media/images/2010/06/amur_corktree.jpg?itok=KHNB5wAh)
Species Types
Scientific Name
Phellodendron amurense
Description
Amur corktree is a non-native tree that is becoming naturalized in our state. Originally introduced for landscape planting, it has proven itself invasive in the northeastern United States and has shown invasive tendencies in St. Louis.
Media
![jack pine](/sites/default/files/styles/media_library/public/mo_nature/media/images/2010/06/jack_pine.jpg?itok=BSPucSoO)
Species Types
Scientific Name
Pinus banksiana
Description
Native to the northeastern United States and Canada, jack pine has been introduced in many other places, including Missouri. This scrubby tree is planted as an ornamental, for windbreaks, or for erosion control. It reproduces locally in and around places where it has been planted.
Media
![Illustration of bald cypress leaves and cones.](/sites/default/files/styles/media_library/public/mo_nature/media/images/2014/12/bald_cypress_taxodium_distichum.jpg?itok=g4JtlXdI)
Species Types
Scientific Name
Taxodium distichum
Description
Bald cypress is an “evergreen” tree that is not evergreen! Like the leaves of hardwoods, its needles turn yellow in the fall and are shed. A tree associated with swamps, its impressive form also graces many public landscapes.
Media
![Illustration of eastern red cedar stem, leaves, and fruits.](/sites/default/files/styles/media_library/public/mo_nature/media/field-guide/Eastern_Red_Cedar_Juniperus_virginiana.jpg?itok=c5v63r5p)
Species Types
Scientific Name
Juniperus virginiana
Description
By far the most common native conifer in the state, eastern red cedar is useful for its aromatic, red wood and beloved for its greenery, its resinous blue “berries,” and the spicy odor it lends the outdoors.
See Also
About Trees, Shrubs and Woody Vines in Missouri
There are no sharp dividing lines between trees, shrubs, and woody vines, or even between woody and nonwoody plants. “Wood” is a type of tissue made of cellulose and lignin that many plants develop as they mature — whether they are “woody” or not. Trees are woody plants over 13 feet tall with a single trunk. Shrubs are less than 13 feet tall, with multiple stems. Vines require support or else sprawl over the ground.