Field Guide

Trees, Shrubs and Woody Vines

Showing 1 - 10 of 11 results
Illustration of shortleaf pine needles, twig, cones.
Shortleaf Pine
Pinus echinata
Existing in thousands of acres of nearly pure stands, shortleaf pine was once the dominant tree in much of the Missouri Ozarks. Today, Missouri’s only native pine tree is recovering from the extensive logging that had exhausted its old-growth stands by the 1920s.
Eastern Hemlock
Tsuga canadensis
Eastern, or Canadian hemlock is usually encountered only in landscaping in Missouri. But based on one instance in Oregon County, we know it can reproduce and spread here on its own. So if you find it on a hike, it was almost certainly planted there at some point. Look around for a cistern, old home foundation, and other persisting garden plants nearby.
Illustration of bald cypress leaves and cones.
Bald Cypress
Taxodium distichum
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.
Illustration of eastern red cedar stem, leaves, and fruits.
Eastern Red Cedar
Juniperus virginiana
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.
Austrian pine
Austrian Pine
Pinus nigra
Primarily a landscaping tree, Austrian pine sometimes reproduces here on its own, and for this reason it's officially included in the flora of our state. Usually, you find it in urban and suburban ornamental plantings or, if you're out hiking, persisting at old home sites.
Illustration of sweet gum leaves and fruit
Sweet Gum
Liquidambar styraciflua
The star-shaped leaves of sweet gum become even more striking in the autumn, when they turn various shades of gold, red, pink, and purple, often on the same tree — sometimes even on the same leaf!
Illustration of common alder leaves, flowers, fruits.
Common Alder
Alnus serrulata
Common alder is a good plant to know. The dried female catkins look like tiny pinecones.
Illustration of sandbar willow small branch with leaves.
Sandbar Willow
Salix interior (formerly S. exigua)
Identify sandbar willow by its very narrow leaves with widely spaced, slender teeth along the margins. This is a good soil binder and bank stabilizer; it prevents washing and erosion of alluvial soil.
Illustration of meadow willow leaves, flowers, fruits.
Meadow Willow
Salix petiolaris
A clumped shrub that grows naturally only in the northeastern part of Missouri, meadow willow lives in low, wet ground in mud or sandy gravel along streams and in wet meadows. Rare in our state, it is perhaps best identified by examining the leaves.
Illustration of corkwood leaves and fruits.
Corkwood
Leitneria floridana
Corkwood is a rare and unusual small tree that doesn’t have a problem with having its feet wet for long periods of time, but it grows rarer as its swampy habitat is converted to cropland.
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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.