01 & 04_ Acer miyabei – State Street’ Maple

Native to Japan, this species matures to 30-40′ in height and spread and is a tough and adaptable tree small enough to fit into many different landscape conditions. State Street’ is a cultivar developed at the Morton Arboretum. This species is endangered in the wild and quite difficult to propagate from seed. While this makes it rare in the nursery trade, it also means its potential to become invasive is extremely low.

02_Platanus x acerifolia – London Planetree

A hybrid of American Sycamore and Old World Sycamore developed in Europe centuries ago, this species has been extensively planted across the globe for its adaptability, pest resistance and pollution tolerance. It is called the “London” plane tree because it was widely planted in Victorian-era London, where it was one of the only trees that could survive the rampant pollution of the Industrial Revolution.

03, 14 & 17_Quercus bicolor – Swamp White Oak

One of the most adaptable oaks, swamp white oak is a popular landscape tree that prefers low-lying areas and can live up to 300 years. Despite the name, this species is extremely adaptable to both wet and dry conditions. Like many species adapted to floodplains, it can tolerate periods of both drought and wet conditions as well as compacted, low-oxygen soil.

05 & 07_Ulmus ‘Homestead’ – Homestead Elm

Homestead Elm was developed at the United States National Arboretum to provide a disease-resistant alternative to American Elm after Dutch Elm Disease decimated Elm populations in the early to mid 20th century. It can grow up to 6 feet a year and has become a popular landscape and street tree due to its fast growth and adaptability.

06_Quercus rubra – Northern Red Oak

One of the most common oaks in our region, Northern red oak is an important lumber species and very popular with woodworkers. The Oak genus is divided into the red and white group. Red oak leaves have pointed lobes with bristles and their acorns take two years to mature, whereas white oak leaves are sounded and smooth and their acorns mature in one year.

08_Liriodendron tulipifera – Tulip Poplar

The tallest and one of the fastest growing deciduous trees in North America, Tulip Poplar is a member of the Magnolia family and displays beautiful, tulip-shaped flowers in the spring. Liriodendron tulipifera is sometimes called “canoe wood.”. It was once the preferred tree for making dugout canoes; Daniel Boone is said to have used a 60 foot long tulip poplar canoe in his westward explorations.

09_Fraxinus pennsylvanica – Green Ash

Green Ash is one of the toughest and adaptable trees in North America. Along with its excellent fall color this adaptability made it a popular choice for urban tree plantings. Unfortunately all Ash species are now threatened by Emerald Ash Borer (EAB), a deadly invasive insect, and can no longer be planted in much of North America. This tree is being treated by plant health care specialists to prevent EAB infestation.

10, 19 & 27_Quercus macrocarpa – Bur Oak

Unlike most oak species which evolved in forests, Bur Oak grows in the open and is an important species in prairies and savannas. Its huge, spreading canopy is an adaptation to these wide-open growing spaces. The scientific name macrocarpa means large (macro) fruit (carpa); it has the largest acorn of any North American oak. This tree was grown from a cutting taken from a historic Bur Oak that the original Muny stage was built around; the historic genetics of that tree live on in this, and two other specimens planted on the Muny grounds.

11_Celtis occidentalis – Hackberry

Easily distinguished by its unique, warty bark, hackberry is a fast-growing tree that tolerates poor soil. It is often one of the first tree species to appear in disturbed areas and helps to rebuild damaged soils and ecosystems. The small fruits of this tree are highly nutritious and were an important staple in some Native American cuisines.

12_Quercus acutissima – Sawtooth Oak

Sawtooth oak is a popular landscape tree due to its fast growth and adaptability. The Latin name Quercus is also the source of the word “cork”. Natural cork is all derived from oak trees. The long, narrow leaves of this tree are serrated and pointed, hence the common name “sawtooth.”

13_Quercus alba – White Oak

White Oak is one of the most majestic shade trees in the world and can live up to 600 years. It is extremely beneficial for wildlife, supporting 537 Lepidoptera (butterfly) larvae and feeding nearly 100 species of birds and mammals. Wines and spirits are aged almost exclusively in white oak barrels as the dense wood is water-tight; Missouri is one of the world’s leading white oak barrel producers.

15 & 16_ Gleditsia triacanthos var. inermis – Honey Locust

Honey Locust thrives in poor soils and is a popular tree in parking lots for this reason. The flowers have a strong and sweet fragrance which add to its ornamental characteristics. In the wild, Honey Locust has large thorns that are so strong they used to be used as nails! Luckily modern cultivars such as this one (‘Imperial’) are bred without thorns, hence the Latin name inermis, meaning “unarmed, defenseless.”

20 & 22_Platanus occidentalis – American Sycamore

Sycamores are fast-growing, long-lived trees (up to 600 years) that prefer wet areas like riverbanks and lakesides. This tree’s bark can be a striking white color, particularly on sunny winter days. Sycamores have “deciduous bark” that sloughs off naturally. If you see Sycamores shedding bark, don’t worry! The tree is perfectly fine.

21_Liquidambar styraciflua – Sweetgum

The Latin name Liquidambar and common name “sweetgum” both refer to the fragrant resin that the tree produces. The spiky “gumballs” can be a nuisance when they cover sidewalks or patios, but Sweetgum is an important part of North America’s southeastern ecosystem. When its leaves change in fall Sweetgum has the unique ability to display many colors – yellows, reds, purples – all on one plant. The result is a kaleidoscopic display that changes daily.

23_Populus deltoides – Eastern Cottonwood

“The Pioneer of the Prairies,” Eastern Cottonwood prefers streambanks, lake sides and other wet and open areas. One of the fastest growing trees in North America, it is capable of growing 10 feet or more in a year. Cottonwood derives its name from its seeds, which are carried on the wind on soft, white tufts of cotton-like material.

24_Taxodium distichum – Bald Cypress

“Bald” Cypress is a deciduous conifer which is unique as most conifers in our region are evergreen. Closely related to the Redwoods of California, it is a fast-growing, long-lived and disease resistant tree that can grow in standing water but also tolerates dry conditions.     Bald Cypress is the longest-lived tree species east of the Rockies; 2,600 year old specimens have been found in North Carolina.

25_Cercis canadensis – Eastern Redbud

Redbud is one of the most reliable and beautiful ornamental trees in the Midwest, adaptable to a variety of conditions and always offering an abundant flower display in spring. Redbud flowers are edible and make a colorful garnish for salads!

18 & 26_Thuja standishii x plicata ‘Green Giant’ – Green Giant Arborvitae

Green Giant is a hybrid between Thuja plicata, native to the West Coast of North America, and Thuja standishii, native to Japan. Since its introduction in the late 1960s it has become one of the most popular landscape evergreens.     The name ‘arborvitae’ is Latin for ‘tree of life’ and was given to this tree by French explorer Jacques Cartier during an expedition to Canada. He and his men were dying of scurvy due to vitamin C deficiency.  First Nations peoples found them and treated their condition with an herbal tea made from Thuja, which is rich in vitamin C.