Field Guide

Trees, Shrubs and Woody Vines

Showing 1 - 10 of 164 results
Illustration of deerberry leaves, flowers, fruits
Deerberry
Vaccinium stamineum
Deerberry is an irregularly branched shrub, rarely more than 6 feet high. A blueberry relative, it bears edible blue fruits.
Illustration of lowbush blueberry leaves, flowers, fruits
Lowbush Blueberry
Vaccinium pallidum (syn. V. vacillans)
Lowbush blueberry is a stiffly branching shrub to 3 feet high. The berries are tasty raw or cooked in pies, muffins, and preserves. It is mostly found south of the Missouri River. It often grows in extensive colonies.
Illustration of farkleberry leaves, flowers, fruits
Farkleberry
Vaccinium arboreum
Farkleberry, or sparkleberry, is a stiff-branched shrub or small crooked tree growing in loose thickets on rocky soils, mostly south of the Missouri River. A type of blueberry, its black fruits are edible but dryish and mealy.
Illustration of common moonseed leaves, flowers, fruits
Common Moonseed
Menispermum canadense
Common moonseed is a rather slender, twining vine that climbs or sprawls. It occurs nearly statewide. It bears clusters of bluish-black fruits. The seeds are flattened, with a raised edge shaped like a crescent moon.
Illustration of common prickly ash leaves, flowers, fruits
Common Prickly Ash
Zanthoxylum americanum
Common prickly ash is a thicket-forming shrub or small tree. Its compound leaves resemble of those of ash trees, but it’s in a different family. Pairs of stout, curved prickles occur at each node. Scattered statewide, but less common in the Ozarks.
Illustration of American smoke tree leaves, flowers, fruits
American Smoke Tree
Cotinus obovatus
American smoke tree is a tall shrub to small tree whose unusual flower stalks look like smoke from a distance. In Missouri it occurs naturally in the western Ozarks, but people use it in landscaping statewide.
Illustration of white fringe tree leaves, flowers, fruits
White Fringe Tree
Chionanthus virginicus
White fringe tree is a shrub or small tree that is native to southwest and southeast Missouri. Its fragrant, showy clusters of white, drooping, fringe-like flowers make it a popular for landscaping.
rough-leaved dogwood
Dogwoods
Cornus spp.
Missouri’s five species of dogwoods are shrubs or small trees with distinctive flowers, fruits, and bark. The fruits may be red, white, or blue. The leaves have characteristic arching veins.
Illustration of American elm leaves.
American Elm
Ulmus americana
Until Dutch elm disease came to America, the large, graceful American elm was widely planted along city streets and was beloved as the all-American shade tree. Now large specimens are rare, since the deadly fungus usually kills trees before they reach fine old ages.
Illustration of autumn olive leaves, flowers, fruit.
Autumn Olive
Elaeagnus umbellata
Autumn olive can be found all over the state, since it was planted widely with the best of intentions. Despite its “pros,” this shrub has proven to be very invasive. It threatens native ecosystems and should not be planted.
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.