Table of Contents

Fifty Common
Introduction .......................................................................................... 1

Treesof Missouri
Species entries
1. Green ash, Fraxinus pennsylvanica ..................................................... 2
2. White ash, Fraxinus amerciana .......................................................... 3
3. American basswood, Tilia americana ................................................ 4
4. River birch, Betula nigra ................................................................... 5
5. Blackgum, Nyssa sylvatica ................................................................. 6
6. Boxelder, Acer negundo ...................................................................... 7
7. Ohio buckeye, Aesculus glabra ........................................................... 8
8. Eastern redcedar, Juniperus virginiana .............................................. 9
9. Black cherry, Prunus serotina ........................................................... 10
10. Kentucky coeetree, Gymnocladus dioicus ....................................... 11
11. Eastern cottonwood, Populus deltoides ............................................. 12
12. Baldcypress Taxodium distichum ...................................................... 13
13. Flowering dogwood, Cornus orida ................................................. 14
14. American elm, Ulmus Americana ..................................................... 15
15. Slippery elm, Ulmus rubra .............................................................. 16
16. Hackberry, Celtis occidentalis ........................................................... 17
17. Downy hawthorn, Crataegus mollis .................................................. 18
18. Bitternut hickory, Carya cordiformis ................................................ 19
19. Mockernut hickory, Carya tomentosa ............................................... 20
20. Shagbark hickory, Carya ovata ......................................................... 21
21. Black locust, Robinia pseudoacacia ................................................... 22
22. Honeylocust, Gleditsia triacanthos ................................................... 23
23. Red maple, Acer rubrum .................................................................. 24
24. Silver maple, Acer saccharinum ........................................................ 25
25. Sugar maple, Acer saccharum ........................................................... 26
26. Red mulberry, Morus rubra ............................................................. 27
27. Black oak, Quercus velutina ............................................................. 28
28. Blackjack oak, Quercus marilandica ................................................. 29
29. Bur oak, Quercus macrocarpa ........................................................... 30
30. Chinkapin oak, Quercus muehlenbergii ............................................ 31
31. Northern red oak, Quercus rubra ..................................................... 32
32. Pin oak, Quercus palustris ................................................................ 33
33. Post oak, Quercus stellata ................................................................. 34
34. Scarlet oak, Quercus coccinea ........................................................... 35
35. Shingle oak, Quercus imbricaria ...................................................... 36
TM
Serving nature and you 36. White oak, Quercus alba .................................................................. 37
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37. Osage-orange, Maclura pomifera ...................................................... 38 Introduction
38. Pawpaw, Asimina triloba ................................................................. 39
39. Pecan, Carya illinoinensis ................................................................ 40 One of the most common questions I receive during events such as the
40. Persimmon, Diospyros virginiana ..................................................... 41 Missouri State Fair, meetings with educational groups and others is, Do
41. Shortleaf pine, Pinus echinata ......................................................... 42 you have a simple booklet for the trees of Missouri? In the past, the Mis-
42. American plum, Prunus Americana ................................................. 43 souri Department of Conservation oered Missourians a small booklet that
43. Yellow poplar, Liriodendron tulipifera .............................................. 44 covered basic information on the fty most common trees of the state, but
44. Eastern redbud, Cercis canadensis .................................................... 45 that publication became outdated and went out of print. Now weve revised
45. Sassafras, Sassafras albidum ............................................................. 46 the old bookletupdated the information, refreshed the illustrations and
46. Downy serviceberry, Amelanchier arborea ........................................ 47 added several new appendices. We present Fifty Common Trees of Missouri
47. American sycamore, Platanus occidentalis ........................................ 48 as a eld guide only; it is not meant to be a comprehensive text on the trees
48. Sweetgum, Liquidambar styraciua ................................................. 49 of Missouri. If you want a comprehensive guide, please see the notice about
49. Black walnut, Juglans nigra ............................................................. 50 Trees of Missouri on page 61. From an education standpoint, I hope this new
50. Black willow, Salix nigra ................................................................. 51 booklet will serve as link between tree identication and a greater under-
standing of how trees relate to the production of food, ber and all the other
Appendices forest products we enjoy.
A. Dichotomous key ............................................................................. 52
B. Glossary (partially illustrated) ........................................................... 57 Robert L. Krepps
B.1. Leaf details ............................................................................... 57 Missouri State Forester
B.2. Fruit types ................................................................................ 59 Missouri Department of Conservation
B.3. Bark types ................................................................................ 59 February 11, 2005
B.4. Miscellaneous terms ................................................................. 59
C. Additional resources ......................................................................... 60

Credits
Authors: David M. Knotts and Frances Main
Technical review: Greg Hoss, John Fleming
Illustrations: Paul Nelson
Copyright 2005 by the Conservation Commission of the State of Missouri

A note on capitalization: In accordance with the style of the Checklist of United States Trees
(Native and Naturalized) by Elbert J. Little, published by the Forest Service, United States
Department of Agriculture, 1979, common names of trees have not been capitalized.

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Green ash White ash
Scientic name: Fraxinus pennsylvanica Scientic name: Fraxinus amerciana
Growth rate: Fast Growth rate: Medium to fast
Height: Medium to large tree, up to 80 feet tall Height: Medium to large tree, up to 90 feet tall
Leaves: Deciduous, opposite, pinnately compound (6 to 10 inches long), 5 to 9 Leaves: Deciduous, opposite, pinnately compound (8 to 15 inches long), 5 to 9
ovate to lanceolate leaets (each leaet 3 to 6 inches long), nely serrated; glossy, ovate to lanceolate leaets (each leaet 3 to 6 inches long), nely serrate to entire;
dark green above, lighter green beneath, turning yellow-orange or purple-maroon glossy, dark green above, lighter green beneath, turning yellow-orange or purple-
in the fall. Green ash is distinguished from white ash by shield-shaped leaf scars maroon in the fall. White ash is distinguished from green ash by the horseshoe-
on the twigs. shaped leaf scar on the twigs. The leaf is larger and the leaets are typically
Flowers: Appear after the leaves, dioecious, hanging in small purplish clusters more pointed.
Fruit: AugustSeptember, samara, 2 inches long, green to pale brown, hanging Flowers: Appearing before or at leaf development, dioecious, dense purple clusters
in clusters Fruit: August-September, samaras produced in dense clusters up to 8 inches long
Bark: Gray, ridges interlaced to form a diamond pattern Bark: Light gray to dark brown, grooves deep, ridges forming a diamond pattern
Habitat: Occurs on wet sites such as bottomland soils, along streams, borders of Habitat: Occurs along slopes, bases of blus, upland and rocky woods, and glades
sloughs, edges of swamps and ponds Wildlife uses: Food (fruit and leaves)
Wildlife uses: Food (fruit), dens Human uses: Trees for landscaping; wood for baseball bats, musical instruments,
Human uses: Windbreaks, erosion control, landscaping and wood products cabinets, doors, frames, veneer, handles, boats and fuel
Interesting fact: Historically, green ash, along with white ash, has been the Interesting fact: See green ash.
preferred wood for making baseball bats.

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American basswood River birch
Also known as: Tilia; linden Scientic name: Betula nigra
Scientic name: Tilia americana Growth rate: Fast
Growth rate: Fast Height: Medium tree, up to 80 feet tall
Height: Medium to large tree, up to 100 feet tall Leaves: Deciduous, alternate, simple, 1 to 3 inches long, 1 to 2 inches wide,
Leaves: Deciduous, alternate, simple, broadly ovate with a long and pointed apex, ovate, doubly serrate; dark green above, light green beneath, turning dull yellow in
5 to 6 inches long, 3 to 5 inches wide, notched at base, coarsely serrate, palmately the fall
veined; glossy, dark green above, light green beneath, turning yellow in fall Flowers: April-May, monoecious, drooping clusters 2 to 4 inches long, about
Flowers: Late May-July, monoecious; 6 to 16 owers born on a drooping, smooth inch in diameter, pale yellow to creamy white; fragrant
stalk; 1 to 4 inches long Fruit: May-June, ovoid, cone-shaped, 1 inches long, inch wide
Fruit: August-October; nutlike, woody, thick, shell, about to inch in diameter, Bark: Reddish-brown to gray, peeling into papery strips, exposing a light pinkish-
enclosing a single seed; attached by a slender stalk; persistent, leaike bract tan or cinnamon-brown inner bark
Bark: Light brown to gray; long, narrow furrows; very brous Habitat: Occurs in moist ground along streams and gravel bars; common
Habitat: Occurs in moist woods on lower slopes, at the base of blus and throughout Missouri
along streams Wildlife uses: Food (seeds, twigs)
Wildlife uses: Food (fruit, nectar and leaves) Human uses: Landscaping, erosion control
Human uses: Wood for carving, musical instruments, woodenware, toys, pulp, Interesting fact: Native Americans and European settlers made birch beer by
furniture and boxes; ower for high-quality bee honey boiling down the sap and adding honey, then fermenting.
Interesting fact: Basswood is a favorite wood for carving waterfowl decoys.

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Blackgum Boxelder
Also known as: Beegum; gum tree Scientic name: Acer negundo
Scientic name: Nyssa sylvatica Growth rate: Fast-growing, short lived (< 80 years)
Growth rate: Slow Height: Medium tree, up to 70 feet tall
Height: Large trees, up to 100 feet tall Leaves: Deciduous, opposite, pinnately compound (6 inches long) 3 to 5 slightly
Leaves: Deciduous, alternate, simple, obovate to elliptical, 2 to 6 inches long, lobed leaets (2 to 4 inches long), pointed base; dark green above, pale beneath,
entire; dark green above, light green beneath, turning bright red in fall turning yellow to red in fall
Flowers: April-June, appearing as the leaves unfold, dioecious, two or more in a Flowers: April-May, appearing before or with the leaves, dioecious, yellow-green;
cluster, greenish-white clustered on slender, drooping stalks
Fruit: September-October, eshy, oval, drupe on 1- to 3-inch stems, dark purple; Fruit: August-October, samara, 1 to 2 inches long; drooping clusters, 6-8 inches
thin skin with solitary, light brown oval seed long, with samara attached in pairs; persistant
Bark: Gray to brown or black; deeply grooved, forming square blocks Bark: Smooth, green on young trees; pale gray to brown on mature trees; separating
into long thin ridges; shallow grooves
Habitat: Occurs in acidic soils overlaying sandstone, chert or igneous substrate
of dry, rocky wooded slopes, ridges, ravines and borders of sinkhole ponds in the Habitat: Occurs in bottomlands, margins of swamps, moist ground along streams,
Ozarks and lowland forests in the southeastern part of the state bottoms of ravines, bases of blus, edges of woods and disturbed sites
Wildlife uses: Food (fruit and leaves), dens Wildlife uses: Food (seeds)

Human uses: Trees for landscaping; wood for veneer, plywood, boxes, pulp, tool Human uses: Wood for paper pulp, crates, woodenware and inexpensive furniture
handles and gunstocks Interesting fact: Boxelder is the only member of the maple family that is wind
Interesting fact: Early settlers, who referred to the tree as beegums, used hollow pollinated and is one cause of hay fever in the spring.
sections of blackgum as beehives.

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Ohio buckeye Eastern redcedar
Scientic name: Aesculus glabra Also known as: Cedar
Growth rate: Slow Scientic name: Juniperus virginiana
Height: Variable from shrub to medium tree, up to 40 feet tall Growth rate: Medium
Leaves: Deciduous, opposite, palmately compound (5 to 7 leaets, 3 to 6 inches long), Height: Small to medium tree, up to 50 feet tall
entire at base, serrate at apex; light green above, pale beneath, turning yellow-orange in Leaves: Evergreen, opposite; scalelike on small, square central stem
fall; foul smelling when crushed
Flowers: March-May, usually dioecious, minute males are yellow-brown in large
Flowers: April-May after leaves are fully developed, monoecious, large clusters 4 to 7 groups, females are blue-green
inches long at ends of branches, greenish-yellow
Fruit: August-September, tiny cones on male trees; small, blue-purple berries on
Fruit: September-October, nut; leatherlike spiny husk containing a mahogany-colored female; berries about inch diameter; coated with a gray, waxy substance, giving
seed (buckeye) the tree a blue hue
Bark: Dark brown, smooth, turning gray; broken into plates roughened by numerous Bark: Light reddish-brown; shredding into long, thin, brous strips
small scales; foul smelling
Habitat: Occurs on glades and blus; open, rocky woods; pastures, old elds,
Habitat: Occurs in rich or rocky woods in valleys, ravines, gentle or steep slopes, bases roadsides and fencerows
of blus, edges of low woods, thickets and occasionally on edges of limestone glades
Wildlife uses: Food (fruits), nesting and cover
throughout Missouri, except for the extreme southeastern region
Human uses: Wood for chests, closets, interior nish, posts, poles, pencils,
Wildlife uses: Food (nectar)
woodenware and novelties; resin rened to produce oil used in ointments,
Human uses: Wood for fuel, paper pulp, articial limbs, splints, woodenware, boxes, liniments, soaps and shoe polish
crates, toys, furniture, veneer for trunks, drawing boards, carving and occasionally
Interesting fact: Eastern redcedar berries have been used to make gin.
for lumber
Interesting fact: People have carried buckeyes in their pockets for good luck and to
prevent rheumatism. It should be noted that the seeds are toxic to humans and livestock.

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Black Cherry Kentucky coffeetree
Also known as: Wild cherry Scientic name: Gymnocladus dioicus
Scientic name: Prunus serotina Growth rate: Medium
Growth rate: Medium Height: Medium to large tree, up to 60 feet tall
Height: Medium to large tree, up to 60 feet tall Leaves: Deciduous, alternate, bipinnately compound (2 to 3 feet long, 1 to 2 feet
Leaves: Deciduous, alternate, simple, lanceolate, 2 to 6 inches long, 1 to 2 inches wide), leaets ovate, entire; dull green above, lighter below, turning yellow in fall
wide, serrate; apex long, gradually tapering; dark green above, shiny, pale green Flowers: May-June after the leaves appear, dioecious, male owers in clusters
beneath, turning yellow in fall 3 to 5 inches long, female in clusters up to 12 inches long; whitish
Flowers: May-June after the leaves have emerged; monoecious, dense, elongated Fruit: October, large pods 4 to 10 inches long, brown to black; at, leathery
cylinder-shaped clusters; 2 to 4 inches long; white skin; persistent
Fruit: August-September, drupe, to inch in diameter; round, dark purple to Bark: Gray to brown, thick, shallow-furrowed with scaly ridges; wood reddish-
black in clusters of 15 to 30; skin thin, shiny; esh juicy, bittersweet, edible brown and coarse-grained
Bark: Dark reddish-brown, smooth, turning black and broken into small, scaly Habitat: Occurs in bottomland forests along streams and moist woods at the bases
plates with age; lenticels obvious even on small twigs of blus
Habitat: Occurs in low or upland woods and along streams Wildlife uses: Food (pods, seeds)
Wildlife uses: Food (fruit) Human uses: Wood for posts, furniture, fuel, cabinetmaking, interior nish
Human uses: Fruit for jelly and wine; furniture, cabinets, veneer, panels, interior and construction
trim and handles Interesting facts: Kentucky coeetree leaves are the largest of any native Missouri
Interesting facts: Wilted leaves contain cyanic acid, which can be fatal to livestock tree. Seeds have been used as a coee substitute.
if consumed in large quantities. The scientic name serotina means late and
reects that this species blooms later than other cherries. In Missouri, black cherry
is second in demand to walnut for quality wood products.

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Eastern cottonwood Baldcypress
Scientic name: Populus deltoides Scientic name: Taxodium distichum
Growth rate: Fast Growth rate: Medium
Height: Large tree, up to 100 feet (or greater) tall Height: Large tree, up to 130 feet tall
Leaves: Deciduous, alternate, simple, cordate, pointed at apex, coarsely toothed, Leaves: Deciduous, alternate, needle- and fernlike, to inch long in 2 rows on
3 to 7 inches long, similar width; shiny green above, lighter beneath, turning yellow opposite sides of the small twigs, turning yellow in fall
in fall Flowers: March-April emerging before or with the leaves, monoecious; male owers
Flowers: March-May before the leaves emerge, dioecious, male catkins red, female in long, drooping clusters 4 to 5 inches long; female owers globe-shaped at end of
catkins green branches, to 1 inches in diameter
Fruit: May-June, aggregate, 8- to12-inch-long clusters of alternately arranged Fruit: October-November, round cones, 1 inch in diameter, solitary or 2 to 3
capsules, each capsule containing multiple seeds in cottonlike mass together, 1 to 2 at end of twig, harboring 3 angled seeds about inch long
Bark: Yellow-green, thin and smooth when young; thick, corky, brown to gray, with Bark: Cinnamon-brown to gray; thick, long, narrow grooves; at, long ridges that
deep, straight grooves and wide, at ridges with age peel o in brous, narrow strips
Habitat: Occurs in moist lowlands near streams and rivers Habitat: Occurs in swamps, sloughs and wet bottomland forests
Wildlife uses: Food (seeds, bark, leaves, buds and twigs), dens Wildlife uses: Food (seeds)
Human uses: Trees for erosion control; wood for veneer, kite and ice cream sticks, Human uses: Wood for barrels, caskets, boats, shingles, railroad ties, fence posts and
baskets, pulpwood and fuel bridge beams; knees for lamps and novelties
Interesting facts: Eastern cottonwood is the fastest-growing native tree in Interesting fact: The largest remaining stand of old-growth bald cypress trees in
Missouri. It was a favorite tree of Native Americans and early explorers for Missouri can be seen along the edge of Allred Lake Natural Area, in Butler County.
making dugout canoes. Here, trees range from 500 to 1,000 years old.

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Flowering dogwood American elm
Scientic name: Cornus orida Scientic name: Ulmus americana
Growth rate: Medium Growth rate: Medium to fast
Height: Shrub up to 30 feet tall Height: Medium to large tree, up to 70 feet tall
Leaves: Deciduous, opposite, simple, elliptical, 3 to 4 inches long, apex pointed; Leaves: Deciduous, alternate, simple, elliptical, 4 to 6 inches long, base of leaf
margin smooth, generally wavy; veins curve up towards apex; bright green above, uneven, apex short narrow point, edge doubly serrate; dark green, smooth and
lighter beneath, turning red to purple in fall shiny to lightly rough above, lighter green beneath, turning yellow in fall
Flowers: Mid-April to mid-May, appearing before the leaves, monoecious, small Flowers: February-April before the leaves emerge, monoecious, clusters along the
light-green to yellow clusters; four large white petal-like bracts stem; reddish
Fruit: August-November, drupe, inch long, bright red, oval, 1 to 2 seeds Fruit: March-May, samara, single seed surrounded by a papery wing;
Bark: Reddish to dark gray-brown; thin, square to round scales inch-long clusters
Habitat: Found along wooded slopes, ravines, along blus, upland ridges, eld Bark: Light to dark gray, cross-section with alternating brown and white layers,
edges; less common on glades, valleys and low ground; prefers well-drained, deep grooves; ridges attened with thin, closely pressed scales
acidic soils Habitat: Occurs in low, moist ground in valleys and along streams
Wildlife uses: Food (fruits) Wildlife uses: Food (seeds, leaves and twigs)
Human uses: Trees for landscaping; wedges, weaving shuttles, yokes, sled runners Human uses: Landscaping
and meat skewers Interesting fact: American elm was known historically as the all-American shade
Interesting facts: The owering dogwood is the ocial state tree of Missouri. tree. Unfortunately, it is subject to Dutch elm disease, which has had a devastating
The hard, strong and shock-resistant wood wears smooth with use rather than impact on the species.
splintering.

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Slippery elm Hackberry
Also known as: Red elm Also known as: Sugarberry
Scientic name: Ulmus rubra Scientic name: Celtis occidentalis
Growth rate: Fast Growth rate: Fast
Height: Medium tree, up to 60 feet tall Height: Medium to large tree, up to 80 feet tall
Leaves: Deciduous, alternate, simple, elliptical, 5 to 7 inches long; with broadest Leaves: Deciduous, alternate, simple, 2 to 4 inches long, 1 to 2 inches wide,
part above middle; base slightly uneven, tip long-pointed, edge doubly serrate; dark ovate, rounded; unequal, with one side broader than other; rounded base; shiny
green and very rough above, light green beneath, turning yellow in fall green and smooth above, lighter beneath, turning yellow in fall
Flowers: February-April before the leaves emerge, monoecious, perfect, clusters on Flowers: April-May with or soon after the leaves, monoecious, male owers green
short stems; reddish in small clusters; female green, single
Fruit: April-June, samara; single seed surrounded by a thin, papery wing; Fruit: September, drupe, eshy berry, to inch diameter, purple when mature;
clusters inch long esh orange, sweet
Bark: Reddish-brown, furrowed with scaly ridges, no alternating light and dark Bark: Gray with numerous wartlike projections along the trunk becoming more
cross sectioned layers as with American elm; sticky sap prominent with age
Habitat: Occurs in dry upland or rocky woods and along streams Habitat: Occurs in moist woodlands throughout Missouri
Wildlife uses: Food (seeds, leaves and twigs) Wildlife uses: Food (fruit)
Human uses: Landscaping, shade Human uses: Wood for fuel, furniture, veneer, fence posts, boxes and crates
Interesting fact: The inner bark of slippery elm is still used as an ingredient in Interesting fact: The larva of the hackberry buttery feeds only on leaves of the
lozenges for sore throats. hackberry tree.

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Downy hawthorn Bitternut hickory
Scientic name: Crataegus mollis Scientic name: Carya cordiformis
Growth rate: Slow Growth rate: Fast
Height: Small tree, up to 30 feet tall Height: Medium tree, up to 70 feet tall
Leaves: Simple, alternate; variable shape, elliptical to ovate; 3 to 5 inches long; Leaves: Deciduous, alternate, pinnately compound, 6 to 10 inches long, 7 to 9
turning red in fall coarsely serrate leaets; turning yellow in fall
Flowers: April-early May, with or after the leaves emerge; monoecious; white Flowers: April-May, monoecious; male owers catkins in clusters of three, 4 to 5
Fruit: September, pome, solitary or in small clusters, nearly round inches long; female yellow, paintbrushlike buds in clusters of 2 to 10 in short spikes
Bark: Reddish-brown to yellowish-brown, shallow grooves and at-topped, Fruit: September-October, nut, nearly round
somewhat blocky and aky ridges Bark: Grayish-brown, shallow narrow grooves, at ridges
Habitat: Occurs in open woods, along small streams and pastures Habitat: Occurs in low woods along streams and river bottoms and at the bases of
Wildlife uses: Food (fruit, leaves and twigs) and cover mesic (moist) slopes and clis
Human uses: Landscaping Wildlife uses: Food (nuts and buds)

Interesting fact: Downy hawthorn was approved as the state ower by the 52nd Human uses: Tool handles; cooking (smoking)
General Assembly of Missouri on March 16, 1923. Interesting fact: Bitternut hickory wood is reported to be the best fuel for giving
meats the true hickory-smoked avor.

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Mockernut hickory Shagbark hickory
Scientic name: Carya tomentosa Scientic name: Carya ovata
Growth rate: Medium Growth rate: Slow to medium
Height: Large tree, up to 80 feet tall Height: Medium to large tree, up to 100 feet tall
Leaves: Deciduous, alternate, pinnately compound, 8 to 15 inches long, 5 to 7 Leaves: Deciduous, alternate, pinnately compound, 8 to 14 inches long with 5
leaets; turning yellow in fall leaets; turning yellow in fall
Flowers: April-May, monoecious; male owers catkins in clusters of three, 4 to 5 Flowers: April-May, monoecious; male owers catkins in clusters of three, 4 to 5
inches long; females clusters of 2 to 10 in short spikes inches long; females cluster of 2 to 10 in short spikes
Fruit: September-October, nut is 1 to 2 inches long, elliptical with thick husk Fruit: September-October, nut is elliptical, to 1 inches in diameter in a
Bark: Gray and irregularly furrowed husk to inch thick; nutmeat is sweet with good avor
Habitat: Occurs in dry upland woods on upper slopes and ridges; commonly Bark: Gray; separating into l-inch thick, long, shaggy strips; free at one end or both
in acidic soils over chert, sandstone or igneous rock; occasionally in low woods ends and curved outward
along streams Habitat: Occurs in bottomland forests along streams and in upland forests on slopes
Wildlife uses: Food (nuts and buds) and ridges
Human uses: Tool handles, wood splints and rustic furniture Wildlife uses: Food (nuts), nesting and cover

Interesting fact: Mockernut hickory wood is considered to be the hardest of any Human uses: Food (nuts); high-quality charcoal, handles for axes and other tools,
tree in the hickory family. athletic goods, agricultural implements, baskets, wagons and wagon wheels
Interesting fact: Because of their loose bark, shagbark and shellbark hickory
provide cover for some bats, especially the endangered Indiana bat.

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Black locust Honeylocust
Scientic name: Robinia pseudoacacia Also known as: Thorntree
Growth rate: Medium to fast Scientic name: Gleditsia triacanthos
Height: Medium tree, up to 60 feet tall Growth rate: Fast
Leaves: Deciduous, alternate, pinnately compound (9 to 19 inches, generally with Height: Medium tree, up to 60 feet tall
a terminal leaet); leaets oval, to 1 inches wide, to 2 inches long; turning Leaves: Deciduous, alternate, bipinnately compound (6-10 inches long, leaets
yellow in fall inch wide, 1 inches long), edges irregular; 7 to 15 pairs of leaets; turning
Flowers: May-June, appearing after the leaves, monoecious, perfect, large cluster yellow in fall
with individual owers; white, showy, fragrant Flowers: May-June appearing after the leaves, dioecious; male owers, downy,
Fruit: September-October, pod, at, 3 to 4 inches long large, in clusters, 2 to 5 inches long, greenish-white; female owers in smaller
Bark: Grayish-brown to black; grooves; narrow, ropelike ridges; inner bark brous clusters, 2 to 3 inches long, also greenish-white
and yellow to light orange Fruit: September-October, pod, 6 to 12 inches long, many seeded, often twisted
Habitat: Occurs in bottomlands along streams and their valleys, also upland slopes Bark: Grayish-brown to black, deep narrow grooves separating into scaly ridges on
and open or wooded pastures older trees; often bearing large, branched thorns; smooth on younger trees
Wildlife uses: Food (nectar, leaves, twigs, seeds and seedpods) Habitat: Occurs in bottomlands along streams and valleys, also upland slopes and
Human uses: Landscaping open or woodland pastures
Interesting facts: Black locust wood is ranked as the seventh hardest of any tree in Wildlife uses: Food (nectar, seed pods), dove nesting
North America, and it has one of the highest BTU outputs of any tree species in Human uses: Thornless cultivars used for landscaping
Missouri. Its hardness makes it a favorite material for insulator pins on the cross Interesting fact: Honey locust is a common and troublesome invader of pastures
arms of telephone and power lines. The inner bark can be lethal to livestock. and idle elds and its thorns are notorious for attening tractor tires.

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Red maple Silver maple
Scientic name: Acer rubrum Also known as: Soft maple
Growth rate: Medium to fast Scientic name: Acer saccharinum
Height: Small to medium tree, up to 60 feet tall Growth rate: Fast
Leaves: Deciduous, opposite, simple, orbicular, 3 to 5 triangular lobes, singly or Height: Medium to large tree, up to 100 feet tall
doubly toothed, 2 to 6 inches in both length and width; turning red in fall Leaves: Deciduous, opposite, simple, orbicular, 3 to in 6 inches length and width,
Flowers: March-April, appear before the leaves, monoecious, in tassel-like clusters; 5 lobes separated by deep, narrow sinuses; green above, silver beneath, turning yellow
usually bright red in fall
Fruit: May-June, samara, clusters of seeds with wings up to 1 inches long, bound Flowers: January-April, appearing long before the leaves, monoecious; yellow-green
to each other at tip; each pair joined to a long, drooping stem to red
Bark: Light gray, smooth; becoming darker, furrowed and aky with age Fruit: April-June, samara, two seeds attached to each other at nearly a right angle,
Habitat: Bottomland forests and edges of streams, swamps and sinkhole ponds; up to 3 inches long; largest of the maple seeds
mesic (moist) to dry upland forests; and along blus Bark: Light gray, smooth on young trees, later breaking into long thin plates
Wildlife uses: Food (seeds) and ridges
Human uses: Landscaping: furniture, veneer, interior nish, ooring, kitchenware, Habitat: Bottomland forests, mesic (moist) forests in ravine bottoms, edges of streams
clothes hangers, clothespins, gunstocks, woodenware and pulpwood and rivers, margins of ponds and lakes; planted around farmsteads and homes
Interesting fact: Red maple has the greatest north-south range (New Foundland to Wildlife uses: Food (seeds), dens
Florida) of any tree species living entirely in the Eastern forests. Human uses: Furniture, veneer, pulpwood, woodenware, boxes and crates
Interesting fact: The underside of the silver maple leaf is whitish-silver, and when the
wind blows the leaves utter, giving the tree a silver look.

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Sugar maple Red mulberry
Also known as: Hard maple Scientic name: Morus rubra
Scientic name: Acer saccharum Growth rate: Medium to fast
Growth rate: Slow to medium Height: Medium tree, up to 50 feet tall
Height: Medium to large tree, up to 90 feet tall Leaves: Deciduous, alternate, simple, ovate or glove-shaped, 2 to 3 lobes, 4 to 8
Leaves: Deciduous, opposite, simple, orbicular, 3 to 6 inches long; three prominent inches long, 3 to 5 inches wide, coarsely serrate; turning yellow in fall
lobes on upper half, two smaller lobes at the base; turning brilliant red-orange, to Flowers: April-May before leaves, primarily dioecious, yellow green,
scarlet and yellow in fall elongated clusters
Flowers: April-May, monoecious, perfect, greenish-yellow, inch or less in length Fruit: June-August, aggregate; red to purple when ripe
Fruit: August-October, samara, joined in a horseshoe shape; seeds and wings Bark: Thin, dark brown to gray with an orange tint; grooves shallow; ridges narrow,
1 to 1 inches long tight or occasionally with loose scales
Bark: Gray and smooth on young trees; on older trees, darker with grooves and Habitat: Occurs in moist lowland woods or on moist upland slopes
irregular scaly plates that look burned because of mold growing on the trunk Wildlife uses: Food (fruits)
Habitat: Mesic (moist) to dry upland forests, margins of glades, ledges, and bases of Human uses: Food (fruit is made into jams, jellies, pies, drinks or eaten fresh);
blus and banks of streams wood used historically for fence posts and barrel staves
Wildlife uses: Food (seeds, twigs, buds and leaves) Interesting fact: Red mulberry is the only mulberry native to Missouri.
Human uses: Furniture, interior nishing, cabinets, veneer and ooring, bowling
pins and butcher blocks
Interesting fact: Sugar maples are widely appreciated for their sugar, syrup and
brilliant fall colors, and they are of major economic importance in the Northeastern
United States.

26 27
Black oak Blackjack oak
Scientic name: Quercus velutina Scientic name: Quercus marilandica
Growth rate: Slow Growth rate: Slow
Height: Medium tree, up to 70 feet tall Height: Small to medium tree, up to 60 feet tall
Leaves: Deciduous, alternate, simple, elliptical, up to 12 inches long, 7 to 9 inches Leaves: Deciduous, alternate, simple, large, leathery, wedge-shaped to triangular;
wide; upper half much wider than lower, bottom margin of lowest lobe nearly spreading toward the apex, apex mildly lobed, each lobe carrying one bristle which
straight; shallow lobes with ends indented into smaller lobes, each bristle-tipped; may disappear with age; dark green and shiny above, turning yellow, red or brown
dark green above, pale green below, turning yellow, red or brown in fall in fall
Flowers: April-May, appear with leaves, monoecious, male 4- to 6-inch catkins; Flowers: April-May, appear with leaves, monoecious, male 2- to 4-inch catkins;
female rust-red, short hairy stalks female rust-red, short-stalked spikes
Fruit: September-October, acorns solitary or in pairs, cap encloses almost half Fruit: September-October, acorns solitary or in pairs, on a very short stalk, inch
of the nut in diameter with a deep cup covering half the nut
Bark: Black, rough, deeply furrowed; inner bark orange or yellow and can be used Bark: Nearly black, thick; broken into irregular, rough, blocky plates
to distinguish black oak from scarlet oak and northern red oak Habitat: Occurs in acid soils over sandstone, chert or igneous bedrock, on dry, often
Habitat: Occurs on rocky, sandy or dry upland ridges and slopes; also on sandstone, level uplands, slopes and glades
chert or igneous glades, and borders of woods and elds Wildlife uses: Food (acorns)
Wildlife uses: Food (acorns), dens Human uses: Railroad ties, fence posts, charcoal, fuel
Human uses: Furniture, other wood products Interesting fact: The blackjack oak can withstand res due to its thick, insulating
Interesting fact: The orange-yellow inner bark, a distinguishing characteristic of bark and ability to sprout from its base.
black oak, was an early source of tannin, a yellow dye.

28 29
Bur oak Chinkapin oak
Scientic name: Quercus macrocarpa Scientic name: Quercus muehlenbergii
Growth rate: Medium Growth rate: Slow to medium
Height: Medium to large tree, up to 80 feet tall Height: Medium tree, up to 60 feet tall
Leaves: Deciduous, alternate, simple, largest of any native oak, up to 1 foot long and Leaves: Deciduous, alternate, simple; oblong, wider above the middle; 4 to 7
very wide; two basic shapes (one widest above middle, upper portion shallowly lobed inches long, 1 to 5 inches wide; ending in a pointed tooth (but no bristles), margin
with lower lobes longer; the other has a deeply lobed central section with indentations coarsely serrated; turning yellow to brown in fall
coming close to the center and a narrower upper part, but still wider than the lower Flowers: April-May, appear with leaves, monoecious; male catkins yellow-green,
lobes), both shapes found on same tree; turning brown to yellow in fall. 3 to 4 inches long; females very small, green to reddish
Flowers: April-May, appear shortly after the leaves, monoecious; male green, borne Fruit: September-October, acorns solitary or in pairs, small to inch long; dark
in naked catkins 2 to 4 inches long; female, reddish, appear in single spikes chestnut-colored, short-fringed cup covering - of the nut
Fruit: September-October, acorns solitary or in pairs; largest of all North American Bark: Light gray, shallow grooves; short, aky ridges
oaks, about 1 inches in diameter; surrounded by a deep, scaly cup with a hairy
Habitat: Occurs most frequently in alkaline, rocky soils derived from limestone or
fringe at the rim
dolomite on blus, borders of glades and upland woods; also in oodplain forests
Bark: Gray-brown, thick, deeply grooved; ridges long, at-topped and lower slopes along streams
Habitat: Ozarks: occurs in low woods, valleys, lower slopes and along streams. Wildlife uses: Food (acorns)
Northern Missouri: often in woods, valleys to ridge tops and degraded or
Human uses: Food (acorns); wood for cabinets, furniture, pallets, fence posts, fuel
former savannas
and railroad ties
Wildlife uses: Food (acorns), dens
Interesting fact: Chinkapin acorns are sweet and edible when roasted.
Human uses: Baskets, lumber, ties, fences, cabinets, ooring, furniture, boat decks
and fuel
Interesting facts: Bur oak may live as long as 600 years. The very large acorn is
reected in its scientic name, macrocarpa, which means big seed.

30 31
Northern red oak Pin oak
Scientic name: Quercus rubra Scientic name: Quercus palustris
Growth rate: Medium Growth rate: Fast
Height: Medium to large tree, up to 100 feet tall Height: Medium tree, up to 70 feet tall
Leaves: Deciduous, alternate, simple, up to 8 inches long with pointed lobes Leaves: Deciduous, alternate, simple, 4 to 6 inches long; 5 to 7 lobes (deeply
(which are not divided again at their tips); middle and upper lobes point diagonally divided) extend or more to midrib, ends of lobes have 2 to 3 small divisions, each
upward and have bristle-pointed teeth; yellowish green above, turning red in fall bristle-tipped; dark green and shiny, turning red to brown in fall
Flowers: April-May, appear with leaves, monoecious, male 4- to 6-inch catkins; Flowers: April-May, appear with leaves, monoecious, male 4- to 6-inch catkins;
female rust-red, short-stalked spikes female rust-red, short hairy stalks
Fruit: September-October, acorns solitary or in pairs, 1 inch long, oblong in shape; Fruit: September-October, acorns solitary or in clusters of 2 to 3, rounded, inch
at cup with ne, hairy fringe covering a third of the nut diameter, often striped with dark lines; thin, saucer-shaped cup
Bark: Dark brown to black, smooth on young trees; eventually develops wide, at Bark: Grayish-brown, smooth for many years, branches point down
ridges separated by shallow ssures; more narrowly ridged on older trees Habitat: Occurs in bottomland forests and oodplains, along streams, rivers,
Habitat: Occurs in well-drained soils or moist ravines, north and east facing slopes, sloughs, edges of swamps, and around margins of upland sinkhole ponds and
and on slopes at the bases of blus at woods
Wildlife uses: Food (acorns) Wildlife uses: Food (acorns)
Human uses: Furniture, ooring, veneer, interior nishing, railroad ties, posts, Human uses: Fuel, interior nish, shingles and general construction
general construction and fuel Interesting fact: Pin oak acorns are an important food source for waterfowl.
Interesting fact: Northern red oak grows further north than any other eastern
oak species.

32 33
Post oak Scarlet oak
Scientic name: Quercus stellata Scientic name: Quercus coccinea
Growth rate: Slow Growth rate: Fast
Height: Small to medium tree, up to 70 feet tall Height: Medium tree, up to 80 feet tall
Leaves: Deciduous, alternate, simple; usually with ve lobes, two of which are Leaves: Deciduous, alternate, simple, 3 to 7 inches long, 2 to 5 inches wide; 7 to
above middle of leaf, broad, forming a cross with the axis of leaf; these and top lobe 9 deep lobes with wide, nearly circular depressions between the lobes; smooth and
slightly indented; turning brown in fall; persistent through winter dark green above, paler beneath, turning deep scarlet in fall
Flowers: April-May, appear with leaves, monoecious, male 2- to 4-inch catkins; Flowers: April-May, appear with leaves, monoecious; male 4- to 6-inch catkins,
female rust-red, short sessile spikes golden; female solitary or in spikes
Fruit: September-October, acorns small to inch long; cup covers to of nut Fruit: September-October, acorns solitary or paired, up to 1 inch in diameter,
Bark: Light gray, divided by deep ssures and scaly ridges often with concentric rings around the tip; thin, bowl-shaped cup encloses
to of nut
Habitat: Occurs in dry to rocky upland woodlands and glades; also in at woods on
broad ridges and lowland terraces, where it is typically the dominant tree Bark: Gray and smooth, becoming nearly black and rough with age; broken up into
irregular ridges on old trees
Wildlife uses: Food (acorns)
Habitat: Occurs in acidic soils associated with sandstone, chert or igneous rocks on
Human uses: Railroad ties, fence posts, furniture, general construction and fuel
narrow ridges, slopes and upland woods bordering headwaters of tributary streams
Interesting fact: The sturdy, durable post oak got its name from pioneers who used
Wildlife uses: Food (acorns)
it for fence posts.
Human uses: Landscaping, general construction, ooring, pallets and fuel
Interesting fact: Scarlet oak is commonly planted as an ornamental due to its
brilliant fall color; however, its large taproot makes it dicult to transplant.

34 35
Shingle oak White oak
Also known as: Peach oak or water oak Scientic name: Quercus alba
Scientic name: Quercus imbricaria Growth rate: Slow to medium
Growth rate: Medium Height: Large tree, up to 120 feet tall
Height: Medium tree, up to 80 feet tall Leaves: Deciduous, alternate, simple, 5 to 7 rounded lobes in two distinct forms
Leaves: Deciduous, alternate, simple, oblong to elliptical, 4 to 6 inches long, (one has shallow, wide, rounded lobes; the other has long, narrow, ngerlike lobes
to 2 inches wide (broadest above the middle); only oak with large, entire leaves in with indentations nearly to midrib of leaf ), 5 to 9 inches long, 2 to 4 inches wide;
Missouri; shiny green above, turning red to brown in fall; has a single bristle at the turning red to brown in fall
end of the leaf Flowers: April-May, appear with leaves, monoecious; male 2-3 inch catkins, bright
Flowers: April-May, appear with leaves, monoecious; males borne on catkins, yellow; female red, solitary or on spikes
females borne on spikes Fruit: September-October, acorns solitary or in pairs, about inch long; cup
Fruit: September-October, acorn solitary or in pairs; small, about inch long; nut covered with warty scales encloses of nut
nearly round; cup with brown, hairy scales enclosing to of nut Bark: Light gray; rough with long, loose scales; becoming blocky on very old trees
Bark: Smooth gray when young, becoming nearly black with broad ridges and Habitat: Occurs on dry upland slopes and ridges; also low ground of valleys
shallow ssures and ravines
Habitat: Occurs in upland ridges, slopes, ravines, lowland areas in valleys and along Wildlife uses: Food (acorns)
streams and borders of prairies Human uses: Interior nishing, veneer, cabinets, general construction, fence posts,
Wildlife uses: Food (acorns), shelter railroad ties, fuel and tight cooperage (whiskey and wine barrels)
Human uses: Roof shingles, some construction and fuel Interesting fact: Second only to walnut in value, white oak is a premium wood for
Interesting fact: Historically, shingle oak was a popular source of shake-type making barrel staves.
shingles for roong because the lay of the grain allows the wood to be split or
shaved o evenly.

36 37
Osage-orange Pawpaw
Also known as: Hedge tree, hedge apple tree, bois darc Scientic name: Asimina triloba
Scientic name: Maclura pomifera Growth rate: Slow
Growth rate: Slow Height: Large shrub to small tree, up to 30 feet tall
Height: Medium tree, up to 50 feet tall Leaves: Deciduous, alternate, simple, reverse ovate, entire, 6 to 12 inches long, 3 to
Leaves: Deciduous, alternate, simple, oval, entire, 3 to 5 inches long, 2 to 3 inches 5 inches wide; turning yellow in fall
wide; shiny above, turning yellow in fall Flowers: March-May, appear before leaves, perfect, monoecious; 1 inches wide;
Flowers: May-June, dioecious; male owers dense clusters, light green, 1 to 1 three triangular, green to brownish-purple outer petals on single stalks
inches long; female owers in dense, solitary heads about 1 inch across Fruit: September-October, drupe, 3 to 5 inches long, 1 to 2 inches wide
Fruit: September-October, aggregate, bright green, round, 4- to 6-inch diameter, Bark: Light ash to dark brown, thin, smooth, becoming warty with blotches
uneven surface Habitat: Grows in dense shade on mesic (moist) lower slopes, ravines, valleys, along
Bark: Brown to orange, deeply grooved with age; ridges rounded, interconnecting, streams and bases of wooded blus in loess hills
often peeling into long, thin strips Wildlife uses: Food (fruits)
Habitat: Occurs in low woods in valleys, along streams, edge of woods, pastures, Human uses: Food (fruits)
fencerows and in thickets
Interesting facts: Pawpaw extract has been used experimentally in cancer therapy
Wildlife uses: Food (seeds) and has been rated 300 times as potent as taxol, the other, better-known plant
Human uses: Fruit for source of yellow dye; wood for archery bows, fence posts extract. The fruit is also known as the Ozark banana.
Interesting fact: The early French explorers and trappers called the tree bois darc,
meaning wood of the bows, with reference to the fact that the Osage Indians
made bows from the wood.

38 39
Pecan Persimmon
Scientic name: Carya illinoinensis Scientic name: Diospyros virginiana
Growth rate: Slow to medium Growth rate: Slow to medium
Height: Large tree, up to 100 feet tall Height: Medium tree, up to 60 feet tall
Leaves: Deciduous, alternate, pinnately compound, 12 to 16 inches long, Leaves: Deciduous, alternate, simple, ovate, entire, 4 to 6 inches long, 2 to 3 inches
9 to 17 coarsely or doubly serrate leaets, each leaet up to 7 inches long; wide; turning deep red to purple in fall
turning yellow in fall Flowers: Late May-June, dioecious; male fragrant in clusters of 2 to 3; female single
Flowers: April-May, monoecious; male in 3-branched catkin, 3 to 5 inches long, on short stalk, white to green-white
usually in clusters of 3, yellow; female, hairy, multi-owered spikes Fruit: September to October, berry, round, 1 inch in diameter; yellow-orange,
Fruit: September-October, oblong nut covered with a thin husk in clusters of 3 to sweet when ripe
10, 1 to 2 inches long Bark: Dark brown to black, grooves deep; ridges broken into thick, square to
Bark: Grayish-brown to light brown when young, becoming dark reddish-brown rectangular blocks
with age; ridges long, at and loose Habitat: Occurs in rocky, dry open woods, glades, prairies, old elds, thickets,
Habitat: Occurs in rich, moist bottomland soils bottomland, valleys and along streams
Wildlife uses: Food (nuts) Wildlife uses: Food (fruit)
Human uses: Food (nuts); wood for furniture, ooring, cabinets and tools Human uses: Fruit (jam, pudding and nutbread); dried leaves for vitamin C-rich
Interesting fact: Pecan is in the hickory family, and it is one of the most tea; wood for golf club heads, textile shuttles, billiard cues and brush handles
commercially important nut trees in North America. Interesting fact: In the 17th century near Jamestown, Captain John Smith wrote of
the persimmon fruit: If it be not ripe, it will draw a mans mouth awrie with much
torment.

40 41
Shortleaf pine American plum
Also known as: Shortstraw pine, southern yellow pine, yellow pine Also known as: Wild plum
Scientic name: Pinus echinata Scientic name: Prunus americana
Growth rate: Fast Growth rate: Medium to fast
Height: Large tree, up to 120 feet tall Height: Shrub to small tree up to 20 feet tall
Leaves: Evergreen, alternate, 2 to 3 needles in bundle, 3 to 5 inches long, dark Leaves: Deciduous, alternate, simple, oval, doubly serrate, 2 to 4 inches long;
green year round rounded base; long, pointed apex; turning red or yellow in fall
Flowers: March-April, male and female cones, monoecious; male cones inch Flowers: April-May, clusters of 2 to 5, 1-inch diameter, fragrant; white
long in clusters at tip of twigs; females in clusters of 1 to 3 along twig Fruit: July-September, berry, clusters of 15 to 30 fruits, round, to 1 inch in
Fruit: September to October, woody cone, oval, dull brown, 1 to 2 inches long, diameter, outer skin tough; pulp, soft, red or yellow
hanging in clusters of one to three; seeds 2 on each scale of cone, triangular, winged, Bark: Dark brown to reddish; breaking into thin, long scaly plates
mottled brown-black, inch long
Habitat: Occurs in woodlands, pastures and thickets throughout Missouri
Bark: Reddish-brown to nearly black, thick; broken into large, irregular, scaly plates
Wildlife uses: Food (fruits), cover
Habitat: Occurs in dry upland forests to moist, acidic soils on margins of glades
Human uses: Food (jellies and preserves, fresh or cooked)
derived from sandstone, chert or igneous substrates; also grown in plantations
Interesting fact: American plum is noted for forming thickets that provide good
Wildlife uses: Food (seeds)
wildlife cover, including food from its fruit.
Human uses: General construction, interior and exterior nishing
Interesting facts: Shortleaf pine is the only pine native to Missouri. Its cone is the
smallest of the pines and it is one of the few conifers that sprout.

42 43
Yellow poplar Eastern redbud
Also known as: Tulip tree; tulip poplar Scientic name: Cercis canadensis
Scientic name: Liriodendron tulipifera Growth rate: Medium to fast
Growth rate: Medium Height: Shrub or small tree, up to 40 feet
Height: Large tree, up to100 feet tall or higher Leaves: Deciduous, alternate, simple, cordate, 2 to 6 inches long, apex pointed,
Leaves: Deciduous, alternate, simple, 4 to 6 inches long; apex broad, notched with base heart-shaped, entire; dark green above, light green beneath, turning yellow
wide V shape between lobes at apex, entire; shiny, dark green above, light green to in fall
whitish beneath, turning yellow in fall Flowers: March-May before leaves, purplish-red in clusters
Flowers: May-June, large, 3 inches long, 2 inches wide, cup-shaped; 6 yellow- Fruit: September-October, at pods, 2 to 4 inches long, about inch wide,
green petals, orange inside tapered at both ends, brownish-purple; containing several beanlike, dark brown
Fruit: September-October, brown, woody, cone-shaped, 2 to 3 inches long, seeds; persistant
containing numerous winged seeds Bark: Reddish-brown to gray; thin and smooth when young, changing to long
Bark: Tight and gray at rst, thin, often with white spots; later gray to brown with grooves and short, thin, blocky plates with age
rounded ridges and long, deep grooves Habitat: Found in open woodlands, borders of woods, thickets, dolomite glades,
Habitat: Occurs in moist woods of ravines, in upland woods and along streams of and along rocky streams and blus; occurs in every county in Missouri
Crowleys Ridge; also found at the base of wooded blus along the Mississippi River Wildlife uses: Food (seeds, leaves and nectar)
in southeastern Missouri Human uses: Landscaping, food and owers
Wildlife uses: Food (seeds, leaves, nectar) and nesting Interesting fact: Eastern redbud owers are sometimes used raw or pickled in
Human uses: Veneer, plywood, boxes, crates, furniture, cabinets, musical salads; in Mexico they are fried.
instruments, toys and novelties
Interesting facts: Daniel Boone used a yellow poplar to build a 60-foot long canoe
to carry his family and belongings down the Ohio River from Kentucky to Missouri.
Yellow poplar is also the tallest of eastern hardwoods.

44 45
Sassafras Downy serviceberry
Scientic name: Sassafras albidum Also known as: Shadbush, amelanchier
Growth rate: Fast Scientic name: Amelanchier arborea
Height: Small-to-medium tree, up to 60 feet tall Growth rate: Slow to medium
Leaves: Deciduous, alternate, simple, three dierent shapes (three-lobed, two-lobed Height: Variable from shrub to small tree, up 30 feet tall
and oval with no lobes), 4 to 6 inches long, 2 to 4 inches wide, leaf margins entire; Leaves: Deciduous, alternate, simple, oval, 2 to 4 inches long, serrate, base rounded
bright green above, lighter green beneath, turning orange and red in the fall or slightly indented near the stalk; dark green above, lighter beneath, turning yellow
Flowers: April-May, before the leaves emerge, dioecious; light fragrance, yellow to orange-red in fall
Fruit: August-October, drupe, dark blue Flowers: March-May before the leaves, monoecious, inch long, showy white
Bark: Reddish-brown to gray; deep grooves and rm, long, at-topped ridges; petals in drooping clusters
mottled twigs (camouagelike pattern); aromatic Fruit: June-July, small, dark red, berrylike clusters
Habitat: Occurs on the border of dry woods, glades, prairies, and in bottomland Bark: Light gray and smooth when young, becoming dark gray with shallow
soils in valleys; also along roadsides, railroads, idle elds, pastures, fencerows grooves and long ridges
and thickets Habitat: Open rocky woods and blus, usually on well-drained slopes
Wildlife uses: Food (fruit and leaves) Wildlife uses: Food (fruit, twigs and leaves)
Human uses: Posts, rails, buckets, carving, canoe paddles, cabinets and interior nish Human uses: Landscaping and food (fruit can be eaten raw or cooked in pies,
Interesting fact: Traditionally, sassafras tea was a popular beverage brewed from puddings or muns)
the roots, which have a strong aroma of root beer. However, safrole, the oil found Interesting fact: Because downy serviceberry is said to bloom when the shad are
in sassafras, has been found to be carcinogenic. In 1976 the U. S. Food and Drug running, is it often called shadbush.
Administration banned the oil for commercial sale and advised the public to stop
drinking tea made from sassafras root.

46 47
American sycamore Sweetgum
Also known as: Buttonwood Also known as: Gumball tree; gum tree
Scientic name: Platanus occidentalis Scientic name: Liquidambar styraciua
Growth rate: Fast Growth rate: Medium
Height: Large tree, up to 120 feet tall Height: Large tree, up to 130 feet tall
Leaves: Deciduous, alternate, simple, orbicular, 3 to 5 main lobes, entire to Leaves: Deciduous, alternate, simple, orbicular; star-shaped, with 5 lobes, lobes
toothed, 4 to 8 inches long and wide; yellow-green above, pale beneath, turning pointed; 3 to 6 inches long, 3 to 6 inches wide, margin toothed; soft green above
dull tan in fall and beneath, turning to red and yellow in fall
Flowers: April-June, monoecious; male owers dark red in short clusters; female Flowers: April-May, appearing with emerging leaves, monoecious; male green,
owers green to red in ball-like clusters upright: females green, on a slender stalk with a round cluster about inch
Fruit: September-October, aggregate, light brown, round composition of many seeds in diameter
Bark: Reddish-brown to gray; bark on upper limbs scaling o in thin plates to reveal Fruit: September-October, aggregate; tight cluster of seed capsules in spiny, round
the conspicuous white new bark 1 to 1 inch drooping brown ball
Habitat: Occurs on rich ood plains, wet soils of streams and river banks Bark: Brown to gray; very rough with deep grooves and narrow, slightly scaly ridges

Wildlife uses: Food (seeds), nesting, dens Habitat: Occurs in rich, moist bottomland soils in valleys and along streams

Human uses: Crates, interior nishing and furniture; dicult to split, used for Wildlife uses: Food (seeds)
butcher blocks and buttons, hence the common name buttonwood Human uses: Flooring, furniture, veneer, cabinets and musical instruments
Interesting fact: About 98 percent of the great blue heron rookeries in Missouri are Interesting fact: Before the appearance of chewing gum, American children chewed
found in the huge, open, horizontal limbs of American sycamore trees. the sweet, gummy sap of sweetgum.

48 49
Black walnut Black willow
Scientic name: Juglans nigra Scientic name: Salix nigra
Growth rate: Slow to medium Growth rate: Fast
Height: Large tree, up to 90 feet tall Height: Medium to large tree, up to 100 feet tall
Leaves: Deciduous, alternate, pinnately compound, 12 to 24 inches long; 9 to Leaves: Deciduous, alternate, simple, lanceolate, 3 to 6 inches long, to inch
25 leaets, lanceolate, 3 to 5 inches long, serrate, base round, apex long-pointed, wide, base round to pointed, apex long-pointed, serrate; smooth green above, light
slightly hairy; dark shiny green above, lighter green beneath, turning yellow in fall green beneath, turning yellow in fall
Flowers: April-May, monoecious, but maturing at dierent times; male on previous Flowers: April-May, appearing with leaves, monoecious; catkins 1-3 inches long
years twigs, owers in catkins 3 to 5 inches long among new leaves; female owers Fruit: May-June, pod, light brown capsules about inch long
on short spikes
Bark: Dark brown; long narrow, loose ridges on younger trees; rough, deeply
Fruit: September-October, nut, thick green or brown husks, 1 to 2 inches grooved and shaggy on older trees
diameter, deeply ridged
Habitat: Occur along streams, swamps, sloughs, marshes, ponds and wetlands
Bark: Dark brown to black, deeply furrowed ridges, slight diamond pattern, inner
Wildlife uses: Food (twigs, leaves, shoots, buds, bark, nectar) and cover
bark chocolate brown
Human uses: Trees for river and stream-bank stabilization; branches for wickerwork
Habitat: Occurs in moist woods at the bases of slopes or blus, in valleys along
streams, and in open and upland woods baskets and furniture; wood for pulp, charcoal, veneer, ooring, boxes and crates
Interesting fact: Black willow ranks as one of the largest willow species in the
Wildlife uses: Food (nuts); preferred host by caterpillars of the luna and regal moths
world, reaching heights of over 100 feet in southern states.
Human uses: Food (nuts); wood for cabinets, veneers, furniture, interior nishing
and gunstocks
Interesting fact: Black walnut husks were used by Native Americans to dye cloth,
treat intestinal worms and stun sh for capture.

50 51
 12. a. Leaves compound; or twigs generally very thick
Appendices (Kentucky coeetree, pecan, hickory, locust, walnut) .......................go to 13
Appendix A: Dichotomous key b. Leaves simple; or twigs are generally thinner (oak and others) ..........go to 20
For winter tree and twig identication, see A Key to Missouri Trees in Winter: An
13. a. Leaves doubly compound; bark more smooth
Identication Guide by Jerry Cliburn and Ginny Wallace (available via Missouri
or platy than furrowed ......................................................................go to 14
Department of Conservations Nature Shop at www.mdcnatureshop.com).
b. Leaves singly compound; bark more furrowed ..................................go to 15
1. a. Leaves needle- or scalelike, or evergreen, or have vertically
brous bark ........................................................................................go to 2 14. a. No thorns; leaets pointed at apex, egg-shaped;
b. Leaves broad and at, or not as described above .................................go to 4 twigs stout and gray; pod smooth at, 6 inches .............. Kentucky coeetree
b. Thorns; leaets oblong or spear-shaped; twigs
2. a. Leaves scalelike; bark brous; tree shape pyramidlike; slender and zigzag; pods wrinkled, 12 inches ............................. honey locust
may have blue berries ...........................................................eastern redcedar
b. Leaves more needlelike .......................................................................go to 3 15. a. Leaets with points on lobes; bark more furrowed or patterned ........go to 16
b. Leaets elliptical, round at base and apex; barklike, interlacing
3. a. Leaves individually attached to branch ........................................ bald cypress brous ridges; small spines at base of bud, 11-19 leaets ............ black locust
b. Leaves in bunches of 2-3 needles ..............................................shortleaf pine
16. a. Leaets nely toothed; 11-23 leaets;
4. a. Leaves or leaf scars arranged oppositely on branch (ash, maple) ..........go to 5 bark deeply furrowed (pecan, walnut)...............................................go to 17
b. Leaves or leaf scars arranged alternately on branch (oak, hickory) .....go to 12 b. Leaets serrated, more broadly elliptical; 5-11 leaets;
bark more tightly furrowed or in strips (hickory) ..............................go to 18
5. a. Leaf simple (maple, etc.) .....................................................................go to 6
b. Leaf compound (ash, hickory, etc.) ....................................................go to 9 17. a. Leaets more sickle-shaped; single leaet at apex of leaf;
bark reddish brown and scaly, tan beneath............................................pecan
6. a. Leaf entire with point at apex; small tree with bark b. Leaf generally missing terminal leaet; bark dark brown,
in squares; end of branches curl up toward sky ................ owering dogwood diamond-patterned, chocolate beneath; pith chambered............ black walnut
b. Leaf with lobes ...................................................................................go to 7
18. a. Buds egg-shaped and large; bark scaly or furrowed ............................go to 19
7. a. At least 5 lobes; deep, narrow sinuses; silver beneath ................... silver maple b. Buds long and slender, bright yellow; bark smooth
b. Three to 5 lobes ..................................................................................go to 8 (or shallow ssures on older trees) ...................................... bitternut hickory

8. a. Three triangular lobes near apex of leaf; red petiole ........................ red maple 19. a. Five leaets, elliptical; bark light gray,
b. Three prominent lobes near apex, 2 near base; smooth to shaggy plates ...................................................... shagbark hickory
buds pointed, shiny brown ......................................................... sugar maple b. Seven to 9 leaets, broadly elliptical, smelly;
leaf axis hairy; bark shallow furrows ................................. mockernut hickory
9. a. Twigs bright green, smooth; leaets 3-5 per leaf; seed winged ...........boxelder
b. Twigs thick but not green .................................................................go to 10 20. a. Leaves entire, without spines at apex .................................................go to 21
b. Leaves serrate, toothed or multi-lobed ..............................................go to 27
10. a. Leaf palmately compound; seed nutlike ................................... Ohio buckeye
b. Leaf pinnately compound; seed winged ...........................................go to 11 21. a. Leaf generally with no lobes, but may have leaves with 2 or 3 lobes;
lemon smell when crushed; mottled green twig ................................ sassafras
11. a. Dry site; leaets entire or serrate, lighter beneath; b. Leaf not as above and twig not mottled green ...................................go to 22
leaf scar horseshoe-shaped .............................................................. white ash
b. Wet site; leaets nely toothed; leaf smaller overall than 22. a. Leaf with a heart-shaped base; pods; twigs zigzag near ends ................redbud
white ash; leaf scar shield-shaped .................................................... green ash b. Not as described above .....................................................................go to 23

52 53
23. a. Leaf broad with a V-shaped notch at the apex; 33. a. Leaf small, oval, nely toothed; bark smooth gray and white
bark light and tight .................................................................. yellow poplar splotches, with black ssures at base on older trees ......... downy serviceberry
b. Leaf without notch at apex ...............................................................go to 24 b. Leaf asymmetrical, rough, tapers to long point at apex; bark
smooth at base, when older, gray with warty projections .............. hackberry
24. a. Leaf broadly oval, almost round, with long pointed tip;
bark grooved, exposing range color; twigs with thorns; 34. a. Leaf up to 4-6 inches long, smooth to lightly rough above;
seeds large green balls ............................................................... Osage orange inner bark layers of red and white; pointed buds .................... American elm
b. Leaf not as above ..............................................................................go to 25 b. Leaf 5-7 inches long, very rough above; inner bark layers
of dark brown and light brown; buds egg-shaped ......................slippery elm
25. a. Leaf oblong, nearly as wide at base as at apex;
slender twigs; bark black in square blocks .................................... persimmon 35. a. Leaves toothed or having lobes with teeth;
b. Leaf broadest above middle; bark more gray and no acorns; single terminal buds .......................................................go to 36
furrowed or smooth ..........................................................................go to 26 b. Leaves lobed or having spines at tips; acorns;
clustered buds at end of twig (oaks) .................................................go to 42
26. a. Leaf 6-12 inches long, 3-4 inches wide;
bark brown, thin and warty .............................................................. pawpaw 36. a. Leaf star-shaped, 5-pointed lobes, coarsely toothed;
b. Leaf 2-6 inches long, 1-2 inches wide; twigs tend to branch twigs with corky wings, seeds spiny balls; buds shiny .................... sweetgum
at 90 angle; bark gray to darker, thick, long squares.......................blackgum b. Not as described above ....................................................................go to 37

27. a. Leaf serrate with no lobes..................................................................go to 28 37. a. Leaf triangle-shaped (to almost heart-shaped), coarsely
b. Leaf lobed, toothed or sometimes coarsely serrate .............................go to 35 toothed, no sharp lobes or tips except at apex ..................................go to 38
b. Leaf more lobed or pointed .............................................................go to 39
28. a. Leaf 3-5 times longer than wide; slender twigs;
bark dark brown, deeply furrowed ............................................. black willow 38. a. Leaf with at petiole, shiny and smooth above;
b. Leaf no more than 2-3 times longer than wide .................................go to 29 twig often 4 sided with elongated lenticels................................. cottonwood
b. Leaf without at petiole, paler above ...............................................go to 39
29. a. Leaves 2-6 inches long, 1-2 inches wide;
bark with horizontal lenticels............................................................go to 30 39. a. Leaves with various shapes (oval, 2-lobed mitten-shaped, or 3 lobes);
b. Leaf broader, more irregular or bark without pointed buds rough above; twigs with milky sap.......................red mulberry
obvious horizontal lenticels ..............................................................go to 31 b. Leaves uniformly shaped; no milky sap in twigs...............................go to 40

30. a. Leaf smooth and shiny above, often with rusty 40. a. Leaves asymmetrically heart-shaped, dark green
hairs along midrib below; single stem .........................................black cherry and smooth above; buds broadly egg-shaped;
b. Leaf slightly rough and dull above; some branches persistent, leaike bracts ................................................ American basswood
become thorns; multi-stemmed in thickets ............................American plum b. Leaves more lobed and pointed with
serrations and teeth or doubly toothed ............................................go to 41
31. a. Leaf almost wedge-shaped; serration can resemble
teeth or lobes occasionally; bark peels into papery 41. a. Leaf large, 4-8 inched diameter; bark smooth
strips revealing pinkish inner bark .................................................river birch gray or white mottled, peels; seeded ball .........................American sycamore
b. Leaves not as above...........................................................................go to 32 b. Leaf small, 2-4 inches long; bark gray
to brown; twigs with sti thorns ........................................ downy hawthorn
32. a. Leaves less than 4 inches long or symmetrical;
sickle shaped; very distinctive bark ...................................................go to 33
b. Leaves at least 4 inches long, doubly serrate;
bark less distinctive ...........................................................................go to 34

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 Appendix B: Glossary (partially illustrated)
Oaks
42. a. Leaf rounded lobes with no spines at tips; B.1. Leaf details
bark light gray to white ...................................................................go to 43
b. Leaf with pointed lobes, spines at tips; bark dark gray to black ........go to 46 Leaf types
White Oak Group Evergreenleaves that remain on year-round; shortleaf pine, for example
43. a. Leaf wavy, margin saw-toothlike; twigs ne; Deciduousleaves fall during certain seasons of the year; maple, for example
bark almost yellow; small acorn ..............................................chinkapin oak
b. Leaf edges entire, lobes rounded ......................................................go to 44
Leaf arrangements
44. a. Lobes almost uniform, small; bark light gray,
akes into plates near top of tree; large acorn ................................white oak
b. Lobes vary in width on the leaf ........................................................go to 45
Oppositebuds arranged across from one another
45. a. Leaf thick and leathery; two broad side lobes making leaf
look cross-shaped; thick branches; small acorn ................................post oak
b. Large leaf, lobes wider above middle and deeply indented
(almost to midrib); corky twigs; fringed cap covers most
of very large acorn ............................................................................bur oak Alternatebuds arranged in alternate positions along the stem

Red Oak Group

46. a. Leaf narrow, elliptical, entire with spine at apex,
shiny upper surface; small to medium acorn ............................... shingle oak
Leaf composition
b. Leaf broad and lobed with spines at apex .........................................go to 47

47. a. Leaf thick and leathery; top bell-shaped with up to

3 broad lobes; keeps dead lower limbs, small acorn.................. blackjack oak
b. Not as described above ....................................................................go to 48

48. a. 5-7 single lobes extending two-thirds or more to midrib;

lower limbs point down; acorn with dark stripes .............................. pin oak
b. Lobes with smaller lobes on them (double lobed) ............................go to 49

49. a. 5-9 primary lobes with nearly circular sinuses Simple Compound Palmately Pinnately Bipinnately
between lobes; acorns with concentric rings at tip ........................scarlet oak compound compound compound
b. Lobes evenly spaced along leaf ........................................................go to 50

50. a. 7-10 lobes go only to way to midrib; bark gray to Leaf orientation
black throughout tree; inner bark orange; bud star-shaped ............ black oak
b. 7-10 lobes go way or more to midrib; Apextip, top end
white stripes on bark; inner bark pink .............................northern red oak Basebottom end
Aboveface
Beneathunderside
Axiscentral stalk of a compound leaf
56 57
Leaf shapes B.2. Fruit types
Aggregatecluster of several fruits (American sycamore, for example)
Berryeshy fruit surrounding more than one seed (persimmon, for example)
Catkinresembling a cats tail; a droopy, scaly spike of unisexual owers without
petals (hazelnut, for example)
Conea coniferous fruit with woody scales containing one or more seeds
(shortleaf pine, for example)
Drupeeshy fruit with hard, central core containing one or more seeds (black
Linear Elliptical Ovate Obovate Oblong Oval cherry, for example)
Nut or acorndry, one-seeded, hard, shell-covered fruit (nut/hickory, acorn/oak)
Podeshy or leathery sheath enclosing several beanlike seeds (honey locust,
for example)
Pomethin-walled, eshy body with an inner chamber containing seeds (downy
service berry, for example)
Samaradry, one-seeded fruit with paperlike wings (maple, for example)

Lanceolate Cordate Reniform Orbicular B.3. Bark types

Smoothsurface even, free of irregularities, roughness or projections
Wartywart-like bumps or protrusions
Leaf margins Platybroad, at sections
Scalysmall, thin, plate-like covering, sometimes overlapping
Shaggycoarse, shredded
Ridgedridges interlaced or running lengthwise to the trunk
Furrowedgrooves running lengthwise to the trunk

B.4. Miscellaneous terms

Entire Sinuate Crenate Dentate Serrate Doubly Lobed Dioeciousmale and female owers on separate trees
serrate Huskouter covering of seed or fruit
Leaf scara mark left on twig after the leaf drops
Lenticelsmall, corklike pore on young bark permitting the exchange of gases
Leaf venation between stem and atmosphere
Monoeciousmale and female owers on same tree
Perfectower with both male and female parts
Persistentremaining on tree after dying
Petioleleaf stem
Pithsoft, spongy, innermost tissue in a stem
Sessilenot on stalks; directly attached to stem or axis
Sinusthe rounded depression between two consecutive lobes of a leaf
Terminal budbud at the tip of the stem
Parallel Palmate Pinnate Arcuate Veinvascular rib of a leaf
58 59
Appendix C: Additional resources
A Key to Missouri Trees in Winter: An Identication Guide. Jerry Cliburn and
Ginny Wallace. 1990. Missouri Department of Conservation.
Trees of Missouri. Don Kurz. 2003. Missouri Department of Conservation.
Missouris Oaks and Hickories. Missouri Department of Conservation.
Trees of Missouri
DESCRIPTIONS DETAILED ILLUSTRATIONS USES IN LANDSCAPING
Conservation Trees and Shrubs. Missouri Department of Conservation.
Urban Trees. Missouri Department of Conservation.
Show-me Trees poster. Missouri Department of Conservation.
Trees of Missouri. Carl Settergren and R.E. McDermatt. University Extension,
University of Missouri, Columbia.
Steyermarks Flora of Missouri, Volume I. George Yatskievych. 1999. The Missouri
Botanical Garden Press.

At long last, Missourians have a comprehensive tree book to call their

very own. Published by the Department of Conservation, Trees of Missouri
covers 204 species and includes descriptions of each trees habitat, range
and physical characteristics. For newcomers who are just delving into the
beauty of these great plants, this book will inspire and inform. Written by
former Conservation Department Natural History Chief Don Kurz and
beautifully illustrated by artist Paul Nelson, it is a companion book to
their Shrubs and Woody Vines of Missouri.
01-0201 - softcover$16.50 01-0202 - hardcover$21.50
Get it at the Nature Shopwww.mdcnatureshop.com

60 61
 A Key to

7
Missouri
Trees

6
in Winter

5
4
3
2
Learn to identify Missouri trees and shrubs
by examining their twigs and buds. Clear
illustrations and concise descriptions make
1

this an easy-to-use guide. Distribution maps Equal opportunity to participate in and benet from programs of the
are provided for each of the 123 dierent Missouri Department of Conservation is available to all individuals without
regard to their race, color, national origin, sex, age or disability. Questions
species. 48 pages. Revised 2004. should be directed to the Department of Conservation, P.O. Box 180,
INCHES

01-0081 - softcover$3.00 Jeerson City, MO 65102, (573) 751-4115 (voice), 800-735-2966 (TTY),
or to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Division of Federal Assistance,
4401 N. Fairfax Drive, Mail Stop: MBSP-4020, Arlington, VA 22203.
Get it at the Nature Shopwww.mdcnatureshop.com
F00088 2005

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