Natives - Trees and Shrubs

Gardening with native plants only makes good sense. Just what is a native plant? A native is a plant that originated in our area and was not introduced from Europe or another far away location. These plants generally display better hardiness, disease and insect resistance and tolerate local weather extremes. Native plants conserve soil and water because they don't require fertilizers and pesticides. Native plants also provide habitat, shelter and food for birds and other wildlife.

For more information about natives visit Grow Native!, the joint program of the Missouri Department of Conservation  and the Missouri Department of Agriculture. The  Grow Native! program helps protect and restore our state's biodiversity by increasing conservation awareness of native plants and their effective use.

Our native plant program is divided into two groups of plants: Perennials and Trees & Shrubs

	Redbud Leafless horizontal branches are smothered in small deep pink flowers in early spring. Red-purple, pea-shaped seed pods follow the flowers. Heart-shaped leaves become a quilt of yellow and green in fall.
	Dogwood Small, low-branched tree with spreading horizontal branches. Distinctive white flowers, 3" in diameter, bloom mid-April to mid-May. Clusters of glossy red fruit in fall persist into winter and are relished by birds. Consistent deep red fall leaf color.
	Serviceberry A large shrub or small tree with slightly fragrant early white spring flowers. . Flowers give rise to very flavorful, purple-black, berrylike fruits relished by both songbirds and people. This lovely tree has colorful fall foliage in a blend of orange, gold, red and green and is a Missouri botanical Garden Plants of Merit.
	Pecan We have two grafted pecans selected for our climate. 'Colby' is a seed-grown, native cultivar pecan. Provides food and cover for wildlife Prefers moist soils. Productive and reliable. 'Kanza' was primarily released for the northern pecan belt because of it superior cold hardiness and early harvest date. 'Kanza' quality nuts ripen before other varieties. It provides food and cover for wildlife and prefers moist soils.
	Witch Hazel This unique native shrub flowers from late winter into early spring, when little else is blooming in the landscape. The fragrant flowers are clustered or solitary, yellow to dark red in color, This Missouri native grows 6-10 ft. Missouri Botanical Garden Plant of Merit.
	Swamp White Oak Swamp White Oak is a large tree with broad crown. Leaves turn varied shades in fall from bronze to red. Grows well in wet or dry soils. Slow-growing but long lived. Provides food and cover for wildlife.
	Northern Red Oak Northern Red Oak is a fast-growing, long-lived, statuesque shade tree. Fall color from russet to bright red. Long-lived and faster growth than other oaks New foliage begins reddish and matures to shiny green. Provides food and cover for wildlife.
	Mimosa Mimosas grow rapidly. are drought tolerant and highly adaptable to any conditions. Fragrant hot pink flowers in spring. 20-25 ft.
	Hackberry Hackberry is a reliable, fast-growing, all-purpose shade tree. Hackberry's pyramidal shape when young then develops a broad crown with ascending branches. The leaves are medium green. Fall foliage is a soft yellow. Birds and wildlife relish the small, fleshy fall fruit.
	Fringe Tree Shimmering, white fringed flowers in May or June. Fringetree leaves often turn bright yellow in fall. Grow in part sun to shade as a small tree or shrub. Beautiful as a single specimen or planted in groups. Smaller size is perfect in garden setting. 12-20 ft
	Paw Paw A multi-stemmed shrub or small tree is a great plant for attracting all kinds of wildlife. Pawpaw's yellowish fruit is relished by many birds and small mammals. Paw Paw spreads slowly to form small colonies or thickets, providing good cover for a variety of wildlife
	Yellow Wood Yellowwood is an excellent, medium-sized specimen tree, with light green compound leaves turning gold in fall. Spectacular panicles of fragrant, creamy-white spring flowers. Yellowwood bark is very smooth and gray. This is an underused, beautiful native tree. 20-30 ft.
	New Jersey Tea New Jersey Tea is a compact, 3-4 foot, rounded shrub native to Missouri. Tiny fragrant white flowers bloom on long stalks in late spring. Young twigs are yellow and are colorful throughout the winter. The showy fragrant flowers attract butterflies. Best in sun or part shade
	Button Bush Buttonbush is a Missouri Botanical Garden Plant of Merit and native to our area. Loads of fragrant white flowers appear in early to mid-summer full of nectar that are irresistible to butterflies and insects. Flowers mature into hard ball-shaped fruits that resemble buttons and persist throughout the winter. Buttonbush prefers moist sites and grow 6-12 foot tall. But can be trimmed in early soring to a desired height.
	Spice Bush A broad, rounded multi-stemmed shrub covered with fragrant yellow-green flowers in early spring. The flowers open before the leaves emerge and are held close to the branches. Aromatic light green leaves turn deep yellow-gold in fall. Birds feed on the brilliant red fruits of the female plant. Host plant for the spicebush swallowtail.