Field Guide

Trees, Shrubs and Woody Vines

Showing 1 - 10 of 46 results
Illustration of red-berried elderberry leaves, flowers, fruits
Red-Berried Elderberry
Sambucus pubens
Red-berried elderberry reaches 24 feet in height and does not form colonies. Its white flowers, and later, red berries, are in pyramidal clusters. In Missouri, it’s known only from Marion County.
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.
A closeup of an acorn
Oaks
Quercus spp.
Oaks are the most important group of trees in Missouri, in both human and ecosystem value. They dominate most of the forests, woodlands, and savannas in the state. Learn more about our 22 species.
Illustration of eastern redbud leaves, flowers, fruits.
Eastern Redbud
Cercis canadensis
Eastern redbud is a native shrub or small tree that is distinctly ornamental in spring with small, clustered, rose-purple flowers covering the bare branches before the leaves.
Illustration of white ash leaf, fruit.
White Ash
Fraxinus americana
White ash leaves turn shades of yellow and purple in fall, and that is one reason it has been a popular landscaping tree. Many birds and mammals feed on the paddle-shaped seeds.
Illustration of post oak leaf.
Post Oak
Quercus stellata
Post oak has long been favored for fence posts and was valued by American pioneers. It has distinctive cross- or ghost-shaped leaves. It grows in rocky upland woodlands and in flatwoods on broad ridges.
Illustration of scarlet oak leaf.
Scarlet Oak
Quercus coccinea
Scarlet oak is a common tree of the Missouri Ozarks. Today it occupies much the same area that shortleaf pine used to dominate before it was extensively cut prior to the 1920s.
Illustration of blackjack oak leaf.
Blackjack Oak
Quercus marilandica
Blackjack oak is common in dry upland woods, especially ones that have been badly burned. It can grow on the poorest soils. It is rugged but not worth much as lumber. It's one of the first trees to be used as fuel.
Illustration of white oak leaf.
White Oak
Quercus alba
Found throughout Missouri and in all kinds of habitats, the white oak is one of our most attractive, long-lived, and stately shade trees. Learn to recognize it by its light gray bark, rounded-lobed leaves, and distinctive acorns.
Illustration of sassafras leaves, flowers, fruit.
Sassafras
Sassafras albidum
Sassafras, with its aromatic oval, mitten- , and trident-shaped leaves, is rich in both human and natural history, and it can be a spectacular tree for fall color.
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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.