Field Guide

Trees, Shrubs and Woody Vines

Showing 1 - 3 of 3 results
Illustration of buttonbush leaves, flowers, fruits.
Buttonbush
Cephalanthus occidentalis
White flowers clustered in round balls give buttonbush its name. It's always found near water, and thickets of buttonbush help protect lakeshores from wave action. This shrub is also planted as an ornamental.
Illustration of shrubby St. John's-wort leves, flowers, fruits.
Shrubby St. John’s-Wort
Hypericum prolificum (formerly H. spathulatum)
Shrubby St. John’s-wort has shiny, somewhat leathery, opposite leaves, 2-edged twigs, and flowers with 5 bright yellow petals and many stamens. A shrub growing to 6 feet tall, it is scattered nearly statewide.
Illustration of St. Andrew's cross leaves, flowers, fruit.
St. Andrew’s Cross
Hypericum hypericoides (formerly Ascyrum hypericoides)
St. Andrew’s cross is a small, sprawling shrub up to 3 feet tall, with smooth, opposite leaves, reddish flaky bark, and distinctive yellow flowers with 4 petals. It grows in the southern half of Missouri.
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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.