Flowering Trees, Shrubs & Woody Vines

Flowering Trees, Shrubs & Woody Vines


Woody plants are plants whose stems and large roots are durable and survive over a number of years.  Since, all woody plants are perennial.  There are three types of woody plants - trees, shrubs and woody vines.  Trees and shrubs are self-supporting while vines do not stand upright on their own.

Trees have one central stem (trunk) from which branches grow to form the tree crown and are usually at least 10-12 feet high. Shrubs have multiple woody stems produced near the soil line and tend to be below 10 feet high.

Flowering woody plants are usually deciduous but there are some exeptions, such as mountain laurel (Kalmia latifolia) or rosebay (Rhododendron maximum).

Woody vines use branches and trunks of other plants to climb up.  They can be woody or semi-woody, that is contain some woody material.

Flowering woody plants (angiosperms) are those that are not conifers (gymnosperms).  Angiosperms are those plants that produce flowers and bear their seeds in fruits.

Adoxaceae

moschatel family

Sambucus
Sambucus
 elder 
S. canadensis
American black elderberry
S. racemosa
red elderberry
Viburnum
Viburnum
 viburnum 
V. acerifolium
mapleleaf viburnum
V. cassinoides
northern wild-raisin
V. dentatum
southern arrowwood
V. dilatatum
linden viburnum
V. lantana
wayfaring tree
V. lantanoides
hobblebush
V. lentago
nannyberry
V. opulus
guilder-rose
V. prunifolium
blackhaw
V. recognitum
northern arrowwood
V. trilobum
American highbush cranberry
V. x rhytidophylloides
lantanaphyllum viburnum
Anacardiaceae

cashew family

Rhus
Rhus
 sumac 
R. aromatica
fragrant sumac
R. copallinum
winged sumac
R. glabra
smooth sumac
R. typhina
staghorn sumac
Toxicodendron
Toxicodendron
 poison-ivy 
T. radicans
poison-ivy
T. vernix
poison sumac
Aquifoliaceae

holly family

Ilex
Ilex
 holly 
I. montana
mountain winterberry
I. opaca
American holly
I. verticillata
winterberry
Araliaceae

spikenard family

Aralia
Aralia
 spikenard 
A. hispida
bristly sarsaparilla
A. nudicaulis
wild sarsaparilla
A. spinosa
Hercules'-club
Berberidaceae

barberry family

Berberis
Berberis
 barberry 
B. thunbergii
Japanese barberry
B. vulgaris
European barberry
Betulaceae

birch family

Alnus
Alnus
 alder 
A. serrulata
smooth alder
Betula
Betula
 birch 
B. alleghaniensis
yellow birch
B. lenta
black birch
B. papyrifera
paper birch
B. populifolia
gray birch
Carpinus
Carpinus
 hornbeam 
C. caroliniana
American hornbeam
Corylus
Corylus
 hazelnut 
C. americana
American hazelnut
Ostrya
Ostrya
 hophornbeam 
O. virginiana
eastern hophornbeam
Bignoniaceae

bignonia family

Campsis
Campsis
 trumpet creeper 
C. radicans
trumpet creeper
Catalpa
Catalpa
 catalpa 
C. bignonioides
southern catalpa
Buxaceae

box family

Pachysandra
Pachysandra
 pachysandra 
P. terminalis
Japanese pachysandra
Caprifoliaceae

honeysuckle family

Diervilla
Diervilla
 bush-honeysuckle 
D. lonicera
bush-honeysuckle
Linnaea
Linnaea
 twinflower 
L. borealis
twinflower
Lonicera
Lonicera
 honeysuckle 
L. canadensis
Canada honeysuckle
L. dioica
wild honeysuckle
L. japonica
Japanese honeysuckle
L. maackii
amur honeysuckle
L. morrowii
Morrow's honeysuckle
L. sempervirens
trumpet honeysuckle
L. x bella
Bell's honeysuckle
Celastraceae

spindle-tree family

Celastrus
Celastrus
 bittersweet 
C. orbiculatus
Oriental bittersweet
Euonymus
Euonymus
 spindletree 
E. alatus
burning bush
E. atropurpureus
eastern wahoo
E. europaeus
European spindletree
E. fortunei
winter creeper
Clethraceae

white alder family

Clethra
Clethra
 sweet-pepperbush 
C. alnifolia
coastal sweet-pepperbush
Cornaceae

dogwood family

Cornus
Cornus
 dogwood 
C. alternifolia
alternate-leaved dogwood
C. amomum
silky dogwood
C. florida
flowering dogwood
C. kousa
kousa dogwood
C. mas
Cornelian cherry
C. racemosa
gray dogwood
C. sericea
red osier
Nyssa
Nyssa
 tupelo 
N. sylvatica
black tupelo
Elaeagnaceae

oleaster family

Elaeagnus
Elaeagnus
 silverberry 
E. umbellata
autumn olive
Hippophae
Hippophae
 sea-buckthorn 
H. rhamnoides
common sea-buckthorn
Ericaceae

heath family

Arctostaphylos
Arctostaphylos
 bearberry 
A. uva-ursi
bearberry
Chamaedaphne
Chamaedaphne
 leatherleaf 
C. calyculata
leatherleaf
Epigaea
Epigaea
 trailing arbutus 
E. repens
trailing arbutus
Gaultheria
Gaultheria
 spicy wintergreen 
G. hispidula
creeping snowberry
G. procumbens
eastern teaberry
Gaylussacia
Gaylussacia
 huckleberry 
G. baccata
black huckleberry
Kalmia
Kalmia
 American laurel 
K. angustifolia
sheep laurel
K. latifolia
mountain laurel
Lyonia
Lyonia
 maleberry 
L. ligustrina
maleberry
Rhododendron
Rhododendron
 azalea 
R. arborescens
smooth azalea
R. maximum
rosebay
R. periclymenoides
pink azalea
R. prinophyllum
early azalea
Vaccinium
Vaccinium
 heath shrub 
V. angustifolium
lowbush blueberry
V. corymbosum
highbush blueberry
V. macrocarpon
cranberry
V. myrtilloides
sour-top blueberry
V. pallidum
hillside blueberry
V. stamineum
deerberry
Fabaceae

legume family

Caragana
Caragana
 peashrub 
C. arborescens
Siberian peashrub
Cercis
Cercis
 redbud 
C. canadensis
eastern redbud
Gleditsia
Gleditsia
 honey-locust 
G. triacanthos
honey locust
Robinia
Robinia
 locust 
R. hispida
bristly locust
R. pseudoacacia
black locust
Fagaceae

beech family

Castanea
Castanea
 chestnut 
C. dentata
American chestnut
Fagus
Fagus
 beech 
F. grandifolia
American beech
Quercus
Quercus
 oak 
Q. alba
white oak
Q. bicolor
swamp white oak
Q. coccinea
scarlet oak
Q. ilicifolia
scrub oak
Q. macrocarpa
bur oak
Q. montana
chestnut oak
Q. muehlenbergii
chinquapin oak
Q. palustris
pin oak
Q. prinoides
dwarf chestnut oak
Q. rubra
northern red oak
Q. velutina
black oak
Grossulariaceae

currant family

Ribes
Ribes
 gooseberry 
R. americanum
wild black currant
R. lacustre
bristly black currant
R. rotundifolium
roundleaf gooseberry
R. rubrum
garden red currant
Hydrangeaceae

hydrangea family

Hydrangea
Hydrangea
 hydrangea 
H. arborescens
wild hydrangea
Philadelphus
Philadelphus
 mock-orange 
P. coronarius
sweet mock-orange
Hypericaceae

st. john’s-wort family

Hypericum
Hypericum
 St. John's-wort 
H. prolificum
shrubby St. John's-wort
Juglandaceae

walnut family

Carya
Carya
 hickory 
C. cordiformis
bitternut hickory
C. glabra
pignut hickory
C. ovalis
red hickory
C. ovata
shagbark hickory
Juglans
Juglans
 walnut 
J. cinerea
butternut
J. nigra
eastern black walnut
Lauraceae

laurel family

Lindera
Lindera
 spicebush 
L. benzoin
northern spicebush
Sassafras
Sassafras
 sassafras 
S. albidum
sassafras
Magnoliaceae

magnolia family

Liriodendron
Liriodendron
 tuliptree 
L. tulipifera
tuliptree
Magnolia
Magnolia
 magnolia 
M. acuminata
cucumbertree
M. liliiflora
Mulan magnolia
Moraceae

mulberry family

Morus
Morus
 mulberry 
M. alba
white mulberry
Myricaceae

bayberry family

Comptonia
Comptonia
 sweetfern 
C. peregrina
sweetfern
Morella
Morella
 bayberry 
M. pensylvanica
northern bayberry
Myrica
Myrica
 sweetgale 
M. gale
sweetgale
Oleaceae

olive family

Forsythia
Forsythia
 forsythia 
F. x intermedia
forsythia
Fraxinus
Fraxinus
 ash 
F. americana
white ash
Ligustrum
Ligustrum
 privet 
L. obtusifolium
wild privet
L. vulgare
common privet
Syringa
Syringa
 lilac 
S. vulgaris
common lilac
Rhamnaceae

buckthorn family

Ceanothus
Ceanothus
 buckbrush 
C. americanus
New Jersey tea
Frangula
Frangula
 alder buckthorn 
F. alnus
alder buckthorn
Rhamnus
Rhamnus
 buckthorn 
R. cathartica
European buckthorn
Rosaceae

rose family

Amelanchier
Amelanchier
 serviceberry 
A. arborea
downy serviceberry
A. laevis
Allegheny serviceberry
A. spicata
running serviceberry
Aronia
Aronia
 chokeberry 
A. melanocarpa
black chokeberry
Crataegus
Crataegus
 hawthorn 
C. macrosperma
big-fruit hawthorn
C. phaenopyrum
Washington hawthorn
Malus
Malus
 apple tree 
M. coronaria
sweet crabapple
M. pumila
cultivated apple
M. sieboldii
Siebold's crabapple
Physocarpus
Physocarpus
 ninebark 
P. opulifolius
eastern ninebark
Prunus
Prunus
 cherry 
P. pensylvanica
pin cherry
P. serotina
black cherry
P. virginiana
chokecherry
Pyrus
Pyrus
 pear 
P. calleryana
Bradford pear
Rhodotypos
Rhodotypos
 jetbead 
R. scandens
black jetbead
Rosa
Rosa
 rose 
R. carolina
pasture rose
R. multiflora
multiflora rose
R. palustris
swamp rose
R. rubiginosa
sweetbriar
Rubus
Rubus
 blackberry 
R. allegheniensis
common blackberry
R. caesius
European dewberry
R. canadensis
smooth blackberry
R. flagellaris
northern dewberry
R. hispidus
swamp dewberry
R. idaeus
red raspberry
R. occidentalis
black raspberry
R. odoratus
purple-flowering raspberry
R. pensilvanicus
Pennsylvania blackberry
R. phoenicolasius
thimbleberry
Sorbaria
Sorbaria
 false spiraea 
S. sorbifolia
false spiraea
Sorbus
Sorbus
 mountain-ash 
S. americana
American mountain-ash
Spiraea
Spiraea
 meadowsweet 
S. alba
white meadowsweet
S. latifolia
broadleaf meadowsweet
S. tomentosa
steeplebush
Salicaceae

willow family

Populus
Populus
 poplar 
P. deltoides
eastern cottonwood
P. grandidentata
bigtooth aspen
P. tremuloides
quaking aspen
Salix
Salix
 willow 
S. babylonica
weeping willow
S. bebbiana
long-beaked willow
S. discolor
pussy willow
S. eriocephala
diamond willow
S. humilis
prairie willow
S. nigra
black willow
S. petiolaris
meadow willow
S. sericea
silky willow
Sapindaceae

soapberry family

Acer
Acer
 maple 
A. japonicum
Japanese maple
A. negundo
box elder
A. pensylvanicum
striped maple
A. platanoides
Norway maple
A. pseudoplatanus
sycamore maple
A. rubrum
red maple
A. saccharinum
silver maple
A. saccharum
sugar maple
A. spicatum
mountain maple
Smilacaceae

catbrier family

Smilax
Smilax
 greenbrier 
S. herbacea
carrion-flower
S. hispida
bristly greenbriar
S. rotundifolia
roundleaf greenbrier
Ulmaceae

elm family

Ulmus
Ulmus
 elm 
U. americana
American elm
U. pumila
Siberian elm
U. rubra
slippery elm
Vitaceae

grape family

Parthenocissus
Parthenocissus
 Virginia creeper 
P. quinquefolia
Virginia creeper
Vitis
Vitis
 grape 
V. aestivalis
summer grape
V. riparia
river grape