Field Guide

Trees, Shrubs and Woody Vines

Showing 1 - 10 of 25 results
Illustration of common elderberry leaves, flowers, fruits
Common Elderberry
Sambucus canadensis
Common elderberry is a colony-forming shrub with opposite compound leaves. Its large, flattened clusters of small white flowers produce purple or black berrylike fruits.
Illustration of prairie rose leaves, flowers, fruits.
Prairie Rose (Climbing Rose)
Rosa setigera
Also called climbing rose, prairie rose is most common near woodlands, where it climbs and trails on neighboring shrubs and small trees.
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.
Illustration of buckbrush leaves, flowers, fruits
Buckbrush (Coralberry)
Symphoricarpos orbiculatus
Buckbrush, or coralberry, grows throughout Missouri. This familiar thicket-forming shrub bears dense clusters of pinkish-red berries that persist through most of the winter.
Illustration of Missouri gooseberry leaves, flowers, fruits
Missouri Gooseberry
Ribes missouriense
Missouri gooseberry is our state’s most widespread and common gooseberry. People brave its prickly stems to collect its tart, tasty fruits to make pies, jams, and jellies.
Illustration of bush honeysuckle leaves, flowers, fruit.
Bush Honeysuckles
Lonicera maackii (Amur) and Lonicera x bella (bella)
If there’s a giant green thicket in your woods, you may have a bush honeysuckle infestation. These invasive plants are shrubby natives of Asia. In America, where they have no natural controls, they leaf out early, grow fast, spread fast, and form dense thickets that crowd out native forest plants.
Photo of hawthorn trees blooming on lawn of Missouri state capitol
Hawthorns
Various species in the genus Crataegus
Our state flower, the hawthorn, is solidly represented in Missouri. There are about 100 different kinds of hawthorns that occupy almost every kind of soil in every part of the state. These members of the rose family are closely related to apples.
Illustration of possum haw leaves, flowers, fruits.
Possum Haw (Deciduous Holly)
Ilex decidua
Possum haw, or deciduous holly, is the more common of two native Missouri hollies that lose their leaves each fall. This shrub or small tree is eye-catching in the fall and winter with its bright red berries.
Illustration of spicebush leaves, flowers, fruit.
Spicebush
Lindera benzoin
Spicebush is a stout, smooth, aromatic shrub of the damp woods. Its eye-catching, early-blooming flowers and its bright red fruits make it a popular native ornamental for shade gardens.
Illustration of pawpaw leaves, flowers, fruits.
Pawpaw
Asimina triloba
“Way down yonder in the pawpaw patch” is an old song you might be familiar with — but today, surprisingly few Missourians know a pawpaw tree when they see one. This is a good tree to know, especially when the large, sweet fruit are ripening!
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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.