Native Trees of Mississippi

Old Live Oak, Quercus virginiana, towers above and is laden with spanish moss

The Magnolia State, 'By valor and arms'

State Tree: Southern Magnolia

Mississippi

™

Custom Search

Native Trees of Mississippi

-Color denotes a tree that is rare or endangered

Want to add your tree to our picture gallery? Click here for details!

more » HubPages

Thanks to a wide range of habitats,

the forests of Mississippi are diverse and cover

about 65% of the land mass within the state.

Part of the great Eastern Pine forest stretches

across Mississippi and accounts for 39% of the

overall forests. The predominant forest type is

mixed hardwoods. Mississippi is also home to

more tree farms than any other state and has

one of the largest timber economies in all of

North America.

Mississippi's forests are home to some giants

Tree lists:
•A-Z by scientific
name
•A-Z by common
name
•By Family

For state A-Z list click state name below.

Home>Browse by State>Mississippi

as well, with 10 national champion trees and 5 national co-champions. The largest tree in the

state (2009) is a baldcypress measuring 15 feet across, 46 feet around, and 70 feet tall! The

tallest tree in Mississippi is a Spruce pine towering at 154 feet. Perhaps one of the best ways

to enjoy the state's forests is to visit one of the 24 state parks or 6 National Forests, such as

Delta National Forest- the only bottomland hardwood ecosystem within the National Forest

System. Loblolly and longleaf pines shade the many hiking trails found throughout Mississippi.

In fact in Longleaf Pine Park, visitors have the chance to see some 400 year old pines- some

of the oldest pines in the state. Outside the piney forests, nature lovers will walk through old

oak forests, dogwoods, and of course the often flooded bottomland of the Mississippi delta.

There are several insect pests worthy of being mentioned found in Mississippi. Two of the

most destructive insects are the southern pine beetle and Ips engraver beetle, which come in

first and second place for killing more trees than any other insect. Redbay ambrosia beetle,

emerald ash borer, gypsy moths, and the now common exotic Sirex woodwasp are a few

more non-native pests threating the forests of Mississippi and the south.

• Mississippi Native Trees A to Z

• Mississippi Tree Facts

• Mississippi Tree Families and Species

• Endangered/Threatened Species

• Tree Nurseries in Mississippi

We are part of the Hubpages community.
Click here for more info.

A firmaret radicem flectit et clamoribus durante tempestas, sed supersit quia est flexibilis. Talis vita est.

Mississippi Tree Facts

Forested acres: 19.8 million
Percent of land forested: 65%
Predominant forest types: Hardwoods (46%), Pines (39%)
Number of State Parks or Forests: 24
Number of National Parks/Forests: 6
Number of Tree city USA communities: 37
Number of invasive tree species (declared and/or present): 12 (see state list for noxious/invasive plants)
Damaging insects of high concern: Ips Engraver Beetle, Redbay Ambrosia Beetle, Emerald Ash Borer
Disease/Pathogen of concern: Annosus Root Rot, Brown Spot Needle Blight, Fusiform Rust
Number of tree families in our collection: 40
Number of endangered or threatened species in our collection: 1

References:
Mississippi Forestry Commission
National Park Service, http://www.fs.usda.gov/
USDA, Forestry Service, FEIS

Additional state resources:

Mississippi State Parks
Mississippi National Forests
Mississippi Exotic Pest Plant Council

Follow the links to view species native to Mississippi. If the genus is not linked, species are listed on the family page.

Aceraceae, Maple
Anacardiaceae, Sumac
    Rhus, Sumac
Annonaceae, Custard-apple
Aquifoliaceae, Holly
    Ilex, Holly
Arecaceae, Palm
Betulaceae, Birch
     Betula, Birch
     Carpinus, Hornbeam
     Corylus, Hazelnut
     Ostrya, Hophornbeam
Bignoniaceae, Trumpet Creeper
     Catalpa, Catalpa
     Chilopsis, Desert Willow
Caprifoliaceae, Honeysuckle
     Sambucus, Elderberry
     Viburnum, Viburnum
Cornaceae, Dogwood
     Cornus, Dogwood
     Nyssa, Tupelo

Mississippi Tree Families and Genera

click to enlarge.

Useful information while browsing species:

• How to read a botanical name

• How to use our species boxes:

-Color denotes a tree that is rare or endangered

Please note: This is not a complete list of all native tree families and species found in Mississippi. We are constantly working towards a more comprehensive list and will add families and their species as completed.

Additional Resources:

North American Native Tree Families
North American A to Z List by Scientific Name
North American A to Z List by Common Name

Fabaceae, Pea
Fagaceae, Beech
    Quercus, Oak
Hamamelidaceae, Witch-hazel
Hippocastanaceae, Horse-chestnut
Juglandaceae, Walnut
     Carya, Hickory
    Juglans, Walnut
Lauraceae, Laurel
Leitneriaceae, Corkwood
Magnoliaceae, Magnolia
Moraceae, Mulberry
    Morus, Mulberry
Myricaceae, Bayberry
Oleaceae, Olive Family
    Fraxinus, Ash

Cyrillaceae, Cyrilla
Ebenaceae, Ebony
Diospyros, Persimmon
Ericaceae, Heath

Cupressaceae- Cypress
     Chamaecyparis, Cedar
     Juniperus, Juniper
     Taxodium, Baldcypress

Pinaceae, Pine
Pinus, Pine
Platanaceae, Plane-tree
Platanus, Sycamore

Rhamnaceae, Buckthorn
Rosaceae, Rose
    Crataegus, Hawthorn
    Malus, Crab-apple
    Prunus, Plum/Cherry
Rubiaceae, Madder
Rutaceae, Rue
Salicaceae, Willow
    Populus, Cottonwood
    Salix, Willow
Sapindaceae, Soapberry
Sapotaceae, Sapodilla
Styracaceae, Storax
Symplocaceae, Sweetleaf
Theaceae, Tea
Tiliaceae, Lindon
     Tilia, Basswood
Ulmaceae, Elm
    Celtis, Hackberry
    Ulmus, Elm
Yucca, Yucca

Mississippi Endangered or Threatened Tree Species

Tree species present in Mississippi with Endangered, Proposed Endangered, Threatened, or Proposed Threatened Federal status:

Endangered Status:

Lindera melissifolia- Southern Spicebush, Pondberry

Looking for a nursery near you?
Check out our nursery listing by county below!

Sorry, we do not currently have any tree nursery listings for this state. We do update these lists, so please check back.

Mississippi native hickory or pecan trees

Originally named the state flower in November of 1900, the southern magnolia is the state tree of Mississippi. It became the state tree in 1938 after a vote among school children, beating out oak, pine, and dogwood as possible options. Mississippi is one of only two states (the other being Virginia) where the state flower and the state tree are one in the same.

A long lived evergreen species, southern magnolia is found throughout the southeastern United States. The glossy leaves are dark green on top and yellowish-beige to rich brown on the underside. In the spring, the highly fragrant showy white flowers, which this species is prized for, emerge. Southern magnolias are large trees and are routinely used as a center piece in landscaping. Although typically pruned to have a more pyramidal crown and bare trunk, when left to its own devices, southern magnolias have an irregular canopy

Additional Resources:

North American Rare and Endangered Trees

External Links:
USDA PLANTS Database
Full Mississippi Endangered List

with many large twisting branches lower to the ground. At maturity, Magnolia

Southern Magnolia, Magnolia grandiflora

grandiflora may reach 100 feet but most fall far short of that. In fact, the current national champion (2012) is 66 feet tall with a circumference of 27 feet. Considered a fast growing tree, young trees may attain heights of 40 feet in the first 20 years.

After it flowers, slightly hairy large seed pods grow at the tips of thick stalks, either upright or horizontally among the foliage. Gradually, they will increase in size to maturity and then begin to dry. The soft fleshy outer seed coat gives way to the woody chambered interior, exposing the many pea sized red seeds. Eventually, the seed pod will fall from the tree, scattering the seeds on the forest floor to be dispersed by birds, small mammals, or heavy rains.

Read More