Eastern Whitebud

The Eastern Whitebud tree, Cercis canadensis alba, is best known for their profuse white pea-like flowers. The heart-shaped leaves of this redbud tree are 3-5" across and its fruit are brown flat pods about 2-3" long. The trunk of this small tree usually branches close to the ground resulting in a spreading flat-topped to rounded crown. This small deciduous tree is adaptable to other soil types but will not grow well in permanently wet or poorly drained soil. It is used as an ornamental or patio tree.

The Hazelnut tree, Corylus americana, also commonly called the American filbert, is a Missouri native, deciduous, rounded, multi-stemmed tree/shrub which typically grows 8-16' tall and occurs in dry or moist thickets, woodlands and wood margins, valleys, uplands and prairies. In spring, male flowers appear in showy, 2-3" long, yellowish brown catkins and female flowers appear in small, reddish, inconspicuous catkins. The fall color is quite variable, ranging from attractive combinations of orange, rose, purplish red, yellow and green to yellowish green.

The Osage Orange tree, Maclura pomifera, has bright green summer leaves with yellow fall color. The Osage Orange bears an inedible fruit resembling a woody orange. Native to the midwestern and southeastern United States, this species is also known as the hedge apple because it was planted in thicket-like hedge rows before the advent of barbed wire fences. A yellow-orange dye is also extracted from the wood and is used as a substitute for fustic and aniline dyes in arts and industry.