Missouri Native Trees

white flower with reddish tips on Cornus florida

Missouri

The Show-Me State, 'Let the welfare of the
people be the supreme law'

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-Color denotes a tree that is rare or endangered

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Native Trees of Missouri

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

For state A-Z list click state name below.

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While meandering some of the 1,000 miles of trails throughout the recently named "best Trail State", you will probably see some of the hundreds of thousands of trees planted by the state. The forests of Missouri helped build the west and fueled the explosive growth of the region in the late 1800's to early 1900's. By the 1910's almost all the pine trees had been cut and the boom was over. Missouri has made great strides in replanting the once depleted forests and actually is ranked 7th out of the 20 northeastern states in forested land area. In addition to planted pine trees, within the 14 million

acres of forested land, about 4 out of 5 trees are either oak or hickory. The rolling hills of northern Missouri are home to some of the state's largest woodland areas. Once covered with grassland and savanna, remnants of pre-colonial ecosystems can still be found in places like Thousand Hills State Park.
In addition to the 90 state parks and historic sites, Mark Twain National Forest encompasses 1.5 million acres of the Ozark Highlands. There are also several well known trails that make exploring the forests of Missouri easier. The Lewis and Clark, Trail of Tears, Santa Fe National Historic, and the Katy Trail are some of the most famous and often traversed.
A noteworthy tree, the walnut tree is of ecological and economical importance in the state. As such, the Department of Conservation is monitoring for a disease called thousand canker disease, which is present in neighboring states. Others concerns within the state are the emerald ash borer, pine shoot beetles, and oak wilt. The emerald ash borer, in particular, poses a serious threat to Missouri's ash population. This imported insect has killed hundreds of thousands of ash trees as it makes it's way west. You can help prevent the spread of invasive insects by not transporting firewood and reporting any you find to your local extension center.

• Missouri Native Trees A to Z

• Missouri Tree Facts

• Missouri Tree Families and Species

• Endangered/Threatened Species

• Tree Nurseries in Missouri

State Tree: Flowering Dogwood

Missouri Native Tree Facts

Forested acres: 14 million
Percent of total area forested: 53%
Predominant Forest Type(s): Oak-Hickory
Number of National Forests: 1
Number of State Parks: 90
Number of Tree city USA communities: 81
Number of invasive tree species: 3 (see state list for noxious/invasive plants)
Insects of Concern: Emerald Ash Borer, Pine Shoot Beetle
Pathogens of Concern: Thousand Canker Disease, Oak Wilt
Number or Rare, Threatened or Endangered Species: 2
Number of tree families in our collection: 31

Sources:
Arborday.org
US Forest Service
Missouri Department of Conservation
United States Department Of Agriculture, Natural Resources Conservation Services: PLANTS Database

Additional state resources:
Missouri State Parks
University of Missouri Extension Service

Missouri Native Tree Families and Genera

Useful information while browsing species:

• How to read a botanical name

• How to use our species boxes:

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

click to enlarge.

-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 Missouri. We are constantly working towards a more comprehensive list and will add families and their species as completed.

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

Aceraceae, Maple
Anacardiaceae, Sumac
    Rhus, Sumac
    Toxicodendron, Poison Sumac
Annonaceae, Custard-Apple
Aquifoliaceae, Holly
    Ilex, Holly
Betulaceae, Birch
    Betula, Birch
    Carpinus, Hornbeam
Corylus, Hazelnut
    Ostrya, Hophornbeam
Bignoniaceae, Trumpet Creeper
Caprifoliaceae, Honeysuckle
Cornaceae, Dogwood
    Cornus, Dogwood
    Nyssa, Tupelo
Cupressaceae- Cypress
    Juniperus, Juniper
    Taxodium, Baldcypress

Ebenaceae, Ebony
    Diospyros, Persimmon
Fabaceae, Pea
   Gleditsia, Locust
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
Oleaceae, Olive
    Fraxinus, Ash
Pinaceae, Pinus
    Pinus, Pine

Platanaceae, Plane-tree
    Platanus, Sycamore
Rhamnaceae, Buckthorn
Rosaceae, Rose
    Crataegus, Hawthorn
Rubiaceae, Madder
Rutaceae, Rue
Salicaceae, Willow
    Populus, Cottonwood
    Salix, Willow
Sapindaceae, Soapberry
Sapotaceae, Sapodilla
Tiliaceae, Lindon
    Tilia, Basswood
Ulmaceae, Elm
    Celtis, Hackberry
    Ulmus, Elm

Missouri Endangered or Threatened Tree Species

Native plant species of concern are those either currently in the

state, or have historically been in the state but not seen for at

least 25 years.

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.

A firmaret radicem amittere possit foliis in vento et triturabis bacchatur durante tempestas, sed supersit quia est flexibilis. Talis est vita.

Named the state tree on June 20, 1955, Cornus floridana is perhaps the most well known of all the dogwood species. It is also the state tree of North Carolina,

Flowering dogwood on the Texas-Louisiana

border in March.

See usage requirements.

Sprawling shrubby form of a forest flowering

dogwood.

See usage requirements.

Virginia (also state flower), and West Virginia. Often planted as an ornamental landscapetree, it is prized for its showy 3 inch white flowers that appear after the foliage in mid spring. The flowers generally range from completely white to white with red tips but there are also trees (f. rubra) with pink flowers, although much rarer. In the forest, flowering dogwoods are understory tree, typically not any taller than 30 feet and may be single or multi-trunked. The bark is greyish brown and smooth when young. Mature bark roughens slightly with age. The leaves are approximately 5 inches long, yellowish green, with prominant venation.

Tree species of concern in Missouri (see related links for full list):

Special Concern:

Castanea pumilia, Ozark Chinquapin, Allegheny Chinquapin

Leitneria floridana, Corkwood

Additional Resources:

North American Rare and Endangered Trees

External Links:
USDA PLANTS Database
Full Missouri Rare Plant List

In the fall, the leaves change to yellow and red and the flowers are replaced by small globular red berries. Deciduous, the bare winter form will begin to bud in early spring, the leaves followed by flowers.
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