Individual Plant Pages

• Asimina triloba, Pawpaw

• Carya illinoinensis, Pecan

• Cercis canadensis, Eastern Redbud

• Cornus racemosa, Gray Dogwood

• Juglans nigra, Black Walnut

• Juniperus virginiana, Eastern Red Cedar

Info Listed Below

• Acer negundo, Boxelder Maple

• Aesculus glabra, Ohio Buckeye

• Amelanchier arborea, Downy Juneberry

• Corylus americana, American Hazelnut

• Diospyros virginiana, Persimmon

• Liriodendron tulipifera, Tulip Tree

• Nyssa sylvatica, Blackgum

• Pinus echinata, Shortleaf Pine

• Prunus americana, Wild Plum

• Prunus serotina, Wild Black Cherry

Versatile Native Maple

Light: Full Sun- Part Shade

Soil: moist to medium/dry

Size: 30-50' high & wide

Found all over the lower 48 states, this maple is ideal for challenging sites. They are not showy trees, but they are hardy & quick growing. They tolerate drought, clay soil, black walnut allelopathy, air pollution, poor soil & flooding...so you can plant it most places. Boxelders have leaves made of 3 leaflets, unique among maples. The leaves can look similar to poison ivy. Dioecious, these trees have separate male & female plants. Maples are known for their samara seed, but boxelders grow them in interesting chains.

Medium Native Tree

Light: Part Sun- Part Shade

Soil: prefers moist & fertile

Size: 20-40' high & wide

Tolerates most soils, light flooding & some drought once established. Keep soil moist, but not soggy first year. Buckeyes are toxic to humans, but have a history of being carried in pockets for good luck. Trees have both perfect & male flowers. Although a green-ish yellow color, flowers are large & showy in shape. Trees often shed leaves mid-summer in St. Louis due to the heat & humidity.

Spring Flowering, Native Fruit Tree

Light: Part Sun- Part Shade

Soil: must drain well, moist to medium/dry

Size: 15-25' high & wide

Showy white blossoms March-April. Also known as Serviceberry because of a propensity for blooming around Easter. Fruit sets in June, hence the name Juneberry. Berries are said to have a blueberry like flavor if the birds don't eat them all first. Plants are monoecious, have male & female flowers on each tree & can self-pollinate. Tolerates air pollution & clay soil. Drought tolerant once established, but will not stand for wet feet. The University of Tennessee says no trees should be planted within 10' of plumbing or sewer lines, however they recommend this tree outside those 10 feet. It's growth habit makes it a better choice near homes.

Native Shrub with Edible Nuts

Full Sun-Part Shade

Moist to Dry Soil

10-16' high & 8-13' wide

Large shrub perfect for food gardens. Tolerates clay soil, black walnut trees & some shade in woodland understories. It is native to drier sites, but moist is fine as long as it drains well. Hazelnut will not tolerate standing water, but does have some drought tolerance once established. Male flowers are brown, while the red flowers are female & will produce nuts. Fruit can be produced by one plant, but multiple plants increases yield. Hazelnuts are encased in a leafy husk & ripen in mid to late summer.

Native Fruit Tree

Full Sun-Part Shade

Average to Dry Soil

35-60' high & 25-35' wide

Medium to Large tree. Excellent for fruit & wildlife. Dioecious, persimmon have separate male & female trees. You need one of each for fruit production. Fruit is astringent if eaten too early.. It fully ripens in fall & often persists into winter. Wait until the fruit is peachy-organge & very soft. Purple & wrinkled fruit is the sweetest. This is different from the persimmons native to Asia which are larger & can be eaten firm. Our native persimmon has a jammy consistency & a couple large seeds. Great fresh, or makes excellent baked cakes & bunts. Seeds are traditionally split open to reveal a fork, spoon or knife & said to predict the winter.

Tolerates clay, dry, shallow, rocky, drought, black walnut allelopathy & urban air pollution. Does not tolerate standing water or soil that doesn't drain well.

Showy Native Tree

Full Sun-Part Shade

Medium to Wet Soil

30-50' high & 20-30' wide

This is one of my favorite native trees. It's scientific name means Water Nymph of the Woods. It has high ornamental value & is quickly gaining popularity among landscapers. It has a very neat growth habit. Leaves are glossy green on top, downy underneath & display amazing fall color. Blackgum leaves change color earlier than most trees, in late summer. The best years display glossy, bright scarlet leaves. Fall color can vary & include purple, yellow or orange. Attractive mottled coloring is common. Dark blue fruits ripen September through October. Missouri Botanical Garden & Missouri Department of Conservation both list berries as edible, but quite sour. These are slow growing plants for moist, slightly acidic areas. Black gum are common in lowlands like those in the Ozarks. They do not transplant well due to a taproot & should be container grown vs dug up. A well loved black gum will grow an average of 1' per year. Blackgum support many native animals & is the sole larval host for the Hebrew moth (Polygrammate herbraeicum). The moth is white with really neat black inkblot like patterns.

I'm not a big fan of nativars, but 'Zydeco Twist' is a pretty cool version with branches that curve back and forth like curly willow.

Prefers moist acidic soil in full sun & appreciates shelter from the wind

Tolerates black walnut allelopathy, standing water & clay soil

Native Evergreen Tree

Full Sun-Part Sun

Medium to Dry Soil

30-50' high & 20-30' wide

This is the only pine native to Missouri & is one of only two native conifers. In St. Louis, we are at the northern edge of it's range. Therefore it does better when planted in a protected location. You don't want to plant it on an exposed site with lots of winter wind. Soil should drain well as it won't tolerate too much moisture. Once established, Shortleaf pine does have some drought tolerance. Prefers sandy loam soil in full sun & appreciates shelter from the wind

Pine woodlands were once a common ecosystem in the Ozarks, but logging around the turn of the 20th century put a stop to that. Many of these felled pines helped railroad expansion in the form of railroad ties. Oaks then moved in to these clear cut areas. Now, efforts are being made to restore this Pine's range & the ecosystems that once lived in them.

Native Fruit Tree

Full Sun-Part Shade

Moist to Medium/Dry Soil

15-25' high & wide

Wild plum prefers moist, well-draining soil to get established. Once established it tolerates black walnut allelopathy & some drought. Avoid standing water. This plant grows fast & can start blooming in 3-6 years. Flowers are showy & self-fertile, but a 2nd plant near by will increase fruit yield. Plums range from yellow to red & ripen in early summer. They produce larger crops every other year. It can be grown as a shrub or small tree. Root suckers can be pruned away. Plums live about 20 years, but root suckers can be encouraged to replace declining trees. Wild plum are a keystone species with very strong ties with local ecosystems.

Native Fruit Tree

Full Sun-Part Shade

Moist to Dry Soil

50-80' high & 30-60' wide

Wild black cherry prefer moist, fertile soil but aren't picky. Once established it tolerates black walnut allelopathy & dry soil. Beautiful chains of white flowers in April - May, bring chains of fruit August-September. These cherries are on the small side but have a rich sweet & sour flavor. The taste reminds me of the montmorency cherries I ate a lot growing up. This is one of the largest cherry trees & should be given room to grow. Single trees can self-pollinate & produce fruit, but those seeds will not be viable. Pretty yellow to red leaves greet us in autumn.

I first became interested in this tree as a keystone species. Almost every wild animal likes wild black cherry. Compared to other natives, these trees have a particularly high wildlife value. If birds are common in your yard, you may even have some wild black cherry seedlings already. They have a very attractive upright form, beautiful flowers & tasty fruit. In my experience they are quite hardy & will grow happily in a variety of places. A deep taproot makes it difficult to transplant older seedlings. The wood has a high demand only second to the black walnut.