Field Guide

Trees, Shrubs and Woody Vines

Showing 41 - 50 of 52 results
Illustration of pin oak leaf.
Pin Oak
Quercus palustris
Pin oak is one of the easiest trees to recognize by its shape alone: It has a tall, straight trunk, an overall pyramidal or conical shape and, most notably, the branches on the lower third of the tree angle downward.
Illustration of Nuttall’s oak leaf.
Nuttall's Oak
Quercus texana
In Missouri, Nuttall's oak grows naturally only in Bootheel. With its limited range, and with steady destruction of its habitat, it has become rare and imperiled within our borders.
Illustration of northern red oak leaf.
Northern Red Oak
Quercus rubra
Northern red oak is a favorite for planting in streets and parks and is one of the most widespread and commercially important of the oaks.
european black alder
European Alder (Black Alder)
Alnus glutinosa
Native to Europe and Asia, European, or black alder is planted widely as an ornamental. In some parts of the United States and elsewhere in the world, this species becomes weedy, even invasive. In Missouri, you are most likely to encounter it in landscaped areas, and not in the wild.
Illustration of poison ivy leaves, flowers, fruits.
Poison Ivy
Toxicodendron radicans
Poison ivy is a toxic plant that contains an oil in all its parts that, if you come into contact with it, can cause an intense skin reaction. Learn to recognize it, and sidestep it on your outings.
Illustration of marine vine leaves, flowers, fruit
Marine Vine
Cissus trifoliata (syn. C. incisa)
Marine vine is a climbing or trailing woody vine to 30 feet high, climbing by tendrils. Uncommon in Missouri, it is found only in our far southwestern counties.
Illustration of ninebark leaves, flowers, fruits.
Ninebark
Physocarpus opulifolius
An attractive shrub with wide-spreading, graceful, recurved branches and bark peeling off in conspicuous thin strips, ninebark is found throughout southern and eastern Missouri on gravel bars, rocky stream banks, and bluffs along streams. It's very popular as a native landscaping shrub, too.
Illustration of woolly pipe-vine (Dutchman’s pipe) leaves, flowers, fruits
Woolly Pipe-Vine
Aristolochia tomentosa
Woolly pipe-vine is a high-climbing woody vine common along streams in the Ozarks. Hikers and canoeists often don’t notice it because the leaves and unusual flowers are usually high overhead in the trees.
Illustration of Carolina moonseed leaves, flowers, fruits
Carolina Moonseed
Cocculus carolinus
Carolina moonseed is a slender, twining vine. It is scattered in southern and eastern Missouri. It bears clusters of bright red, somewhat flattened fruits. The disk-shaped seeds are spiraled like a snail shell.
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.
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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.