Field Guide

Trees, Shrubs and Woody Vines

Showing 1 - 10 of 25 results
amur corktree
Amur Corktree
Phellodendron amurense
Amur corktree is a non-native tree that is becoming naturalized in our state. Originally introduced for landscape planting, it has proven itself invasive in the northeastern United States and has shown invasive tendencies in St. Louis.
Illustration of Ashe’s juniper needles, twig, fruits, with inset showing overall shape of plant
Ashe's Juniper (Ashe Juniper)
Juniperus ashei
In Missouri, Ashe’s juniper is uncommon and only found in a few southwestern counties; our populations represent the northeastern tip of its range. Here, it is much less widespread than its close relative eastern red cedar.
white ash leaves
Ashes
Fraxinus spp.
Missouri has six species of ashes that you might find in natural settings. They have been very popular as shade trees, and their wood is famously useful. Ash trees of all the species in North America are currently being killed by the invasive, nonnative emerald ash borer.
Illustration of bald cypress leaves and cones.
Bald Cypress
Taxodium distichum
Bald cypress is an “evergreen” tree that is not evergreen! Like the leaves of hardwoods, its needles turn yellow in the fall and are shed. A tree associated with dark, mysterious swamps, its impressive form also graces many public landscapes.
Illustration of box elder leaves and fruits.
Box Elder
Acer negundo
A member of the maple family, box elder is often confused with poison ivy because its compound leaves sometimes grow in threes (though also in fives). A fast-growing tree, its winged seeds betray its relationship to other maples.
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 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.
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 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.
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.
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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.