Field Guide

Trees, Shrubs and Woody Vines

Showing 1 - 9 of 9 results
Illustration of honey locust leaves, thorns, fruit.
Honey Locust
Gleditsia triacanthos
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.
Illustration of mimosa leaves, flowers, fruit.
Mimosa (Silk Tree)
Albizia julibrissin
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.
Illustration of black walnut compound leaf and nuts.
Black Walnut
Juglans nigra
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.
Image of pecan leaves and nuts
Pecan
Carya illinoinensis
The pecan, a type of hickory, is one of Missouri’s favorite nut trees. Originally pecan had a fairly limited, southern distribution, but today it is found in and out of cultivation nearly statewide, owing to the popularity of the nuts.
Illustration of butternut compound leaf and nuts.
Butternut
Juglans cinerea
Butternut, or white walnut, is closely related to the more common black walnut. Both have delicious edible nuts, and both are valued for their wood. Butternut, however, is declining due to a usually fatal fungal disease.
Illustration of tree-of-heaven leaves, flowers, fruit
Tree-of-Heaven
Ailanthus altissima
Tree-of-heaven is a fast-growing exotic that is common in urban areas. It is weedy and aggressive and should not be planted. It has 2-foot-long feather-compound leaves. Twigs smell unpleasant when you break them.
Illustration of yellowwood leaves, flowers, fruit
Yellowwood
Cladrastis kentukea
Early Appalachian settlers gave yellowwood its name because the root bark produces a clear yellow dye. This slow-growing tree is popular statewide as a landscaping ornamental, but in the wild it is uncommon to endangered throughout its natural range.
Illustration of Kentucky coffee tree leaves, flowers, fruit.
Kentucky Coffee Tree
Gymnocladus dioicus
There’s no mistaking Kentucky coffee tree when its large, tough seedpods are hanging from its limbs or dropping to the ground below. Unpopular as food with today’s wildlife, these seedpods might have fed mastodons and other large, extinct North American mammals.
Shagbark Hickory
Hickories
Carya spp.
Hickories are an important part of Missouri’s oak-hickory woodlands and forests. They have tremendous economic value, too. Learn about the nine species of hickory found in Missouri.
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.