Shrubs

In 2016, a total of 436 kinds of woody plants were known to occur in the wild in Arkansas, comprising 419 species plus another seventeen varieties and subspecies. Of these, 185 can be considered trees, 189 are best described as shrubs, and sixty-two are woody vines. In some cases it is difficult to draw a hard line between these categories, and various references differ in their criteria for each. For the purposes of this entry, however, each category is defined as follows:

Trees are defined as perennial, often single- or relatively few–stemmed woody plants typically greater than five meters (sixteen feet) in height at maturity. Shrubs are defined as perennial, often multi-stemmed woody or semi-woody plants usually less than five meters (sixteen feet) in height at maturity. This includes the bamboo members of the grass family (which may be taller), yuccas, the highbush members of the genus Rubus (blackberries and raspberries), prickly-pear cacti, and dwarf palmettos. Woody vines are defined as perennial, woody or semi-woody twining, climbing, or trailing plants with relatively long stems. In some cases these may not appear especially “woody” (e.g., the trailing or dewberry members of the genus Rubus and some greenbriers in the genus Smilax), but their stems do not die back to the ground in winter.

Of the 189 shrubs in Arkansas, fifty-two (27.5 percent) are not native to the state and were introduced either by accident or intentionally from elsewhere in the world since the time of European settlement. Two others are of uncertain native status. Thirty-eight (20.1 percent) have been identified as state species of conservation concern by the Arkansas Natural Heritage Commission. These species are rare in the state and may be at risk from loss of habitat, disease, or other factors. All of these are designated in the table below.

Arkansas is home to one shrub that is thought to be endemic, or restricted to the state. Stern’s medlar (Crataegus × canescens or Mespilus canescens) is known from a single site in the Grand Prairie region of eastern Arkansas, where just twenty-four individual representatives of the species are known to exist. Recent genetic research into this population suggests that the species may be of hybrid origin—the result of past hybridization between the native blueberry hawthorn (Crataegus brachyacantha) and the European medlar (Mespilus germanica), which was presumably brought to the area by immigrants from eastern Europe.

The largest genera of shrubs in Arkansas are the highbush blackberries and raspberries (Rubus; fourteen shrub species, ten of which are native), the hawthorns (Crataegus; thirteen shrub species, all native), the roses (Rosa; ten species, four native), the arrow-woods (Viburnum; eight shrub species, all native), the St. John’s worts (Hypericum; seven shrub species, six native), the bridal-wreaths (Spiraea; six shrub species, one native), the blueberries (Vaccinium; six shrub species, all native), the indigo-bushes and lead-plants (Amorpha; five shrub species, all native), the privets (Ligustrum; five shrub species, none native), the sumacs (Rhus; five shrub species, all native), the willows (Salix; five shrub species, all native), and the yuccas (Yucca; five shrub species, three native).

As noted above, not all of the shrub species found in Arkansas are native to the state. Several of these non-native shrubs are considered by botanists and ecologists to be invasive in Arkansas’s natural communities, capable of displacing native vegetation and altering habitat for native wildlife. Examples of non-native invasive shrubs in Arkansas include trifoliate orange (Citrus trifoliata), thorny-olive (Elaeagnus pungens), autumn-olive (Elaeagnus umbellata), burning-bush (Euonymus alatus), Chinese privet (Ligustrum sinense), bush honeysuckle (Lonicera maackii), nandina (Nandina domestica), golden bamboo (Phyllostachys aurea), multiflora rose (Rosa multiflora), and everbearing blackberry (Rubus serissimus). Saltbush (Baccharis halimifolia), while it may be native to a few isolated saline habitats in southern Arkansas, is highly invasive and has spread rapidly throughout the state in recent years. It is now ubiquitous in many moist, open, human-disturbed habitats such as roadsides, ditch banks, cutover forests, marshes, and fallow agricultural fields.

The following table presents an annotated list of the 189 shrubs known to occur in the wild in Arkansas as recorded by Gentry et al. (2013) and amended by the staff of the Arkansas Natural Heritage Commission with data gathered since 2013.

Annotations are as follows:

⁺ = state conservation concern (rare species)

^* = non-native to Arkansas

^*? = questionable or uncertain native status.

Scientific Name	Common Name(s)	Family	Family Common Name
Alnus serrulata	alder, smooth alder, tag alder	BETULACEAE	Birch Family
Amorpha canescens ⁺	lead-plant	FABACEAE	Bean Family
Amorpha fruticosa	indigo-bush, false indigo	FABACEAE	Bean Family
Amorpha nitens	shining indigo-bush	FABACEAE	Bean Family
Amorpha ouachitensis ⁺	Ouachita indigo-bush, Ouachita lead-plant	FABACEAE	Bean Family
Amorpha paniculata ⁺	panicled indigo-bush	FABACEAE	Bean Family
Arundinaria gigantea	river cane, giant cane, switch cane	POACEAE	Grass Family
Asimina parviflora ⁺	dwarf pawpaw	ANNONACEAE	Custard-apple Family
Baccharis halimifolia ^*?	saltbush, groundsel-tree, sea-myrtle	ASTERACEAE	Sunflower Family
Berberis bealei ^*	mahonia	BERBERIDACEAE	Barberry Family
Berberis thunbergii ^*	Japanese barberry	BERBERIDACEAE	Barberry Family
Callicarpa americana	American beauty-berry, French-mulberry	LAMIACEAE	Mint Family
Callicarpa dichotoma ^*	Chinese beauty-berry	LAMIACEAE	Mint Family
Ceanothus americanus	New Jersey-tea	RHAMNACEAE	Buckthorn Family
Ceanothus herbaceus	inland New Jersey-tea, redroot	RHAMNACEAE	Buckthorn Family
Cephalanthus occidentalis	buttonbush	RUBIACEAE	Madder Family
Chaenomeles speciosa ^*	flowering-quince	ROSACEAE	Rose Family
Chionanthus virginicus	fringe-tree, old-man’s-beard	OLEACEAE	Olive Family
Citrus trifoliata ^*	trifoliate orange	RUTACEAE	Rue Family
Cornus drummondii	rough-leaf dogwood	CORNACEAE	Dogwood Family
Cornus foemina	stiff dogwood	CORNACEAE	Dogwood Family
Cornus obliqua	silky dogwood	CORNACEAE	Dogwood Family
Cornus racemosa	gray dogwood	CORNACEAE	Dogwood Family
Corylus americana	hazelnut, American hazelnut	BETULACEAE	Birch Family
Crataegus × canescens ⁺	Stern’s medlar	ROSACEAE	Rose Family
Crataegus berberifolia	barberry hawthorn	ROSACEAE	Rose Family
Crataegus calpodendron	pear hawthorn	ROSACEAE	Rose Family
Crataegus coccinioides ⁺	Kansas hawthorn	ROSACEAE	Rose Family
Crataegus collina	hawthorn	ROSACEAE	Rose Family
Crataegus crus-galli	cockspur hawthorn	ROSACEAE	Rose Family
Crataegus intricata	hawthorn	ROSACEAE	Rose Family
Crataegus macrosperma ⁺	fan-leaf hawthorn	ROSACEAE	Rose Family
Crataegus marshallii	parsley hawthorn	ROSACEAE	Rose Family
Crataegus mollis	downy hawthorn	ROSACEAE	Rose Family
Crataegus pruinosa	hawthorn	ROSACEAE	Rose Family
Crataegus triflora ⁺	three-flower hawthorn	ROSACEAE	Rose Family
Crataegus uniflora	dwarf hawthorn	ROSACEAE	Rose Family
Decodon verticillatus	swamp-loosestrife	LYTHRACEAE	Loosestrife Family
Deutzia scabra ^*	deutzia, pride-of-Rochester	HYDRANGEACEAE	Hydrangea Family
Dirca decipiens ⁺	Ozark leatherwood	THYMELAEACEAE	Leatherwood Family
Dirca palustris	leatherwood	THYMELAEACEAE	Leatherwood Family
Ditrysinia fruticosa ⁺	Sebastian-bush	EUPHORBIACEAE	Spurge Family
Elaeagnus pungens ^*	thorny-olive	ELAEAGNACEAE	Oleaster Family
Elaeagnus umbellata ^*	autumn-olive	ELAEAGNACEAE	Oleaster Family
Euonymus alatus ^*	burning-bush, winged euonymus	CELASTRACEAE	Bittersweet Family
Euonymus americanus	strawberry-bush, hearts-a-bursting-with-love	CELASTRACEAE	Bittersweet Family
Euonymus atropurpureus var. atropurpureus	wahoo, burning-bush	CELASTRACEAE	Bittersweet Family
Exochorda racemosa ^*	pearlbush	ROSACEAE	Rose Family
Forestiera ligustrina ⁺	upland swamp-privet	OLEACEAE	Olive Family
Forsythia suspensa ^*	weeping forsythia	OLEACEAE	Olive Family
Fothergilla major ⁺	witch-alder	HAMAMELIDACEAE	Witch-hazel Family
Gaylussacia baccata ⁺	black huckleberry	ERICACEAE	Heath Family
Hamamelis vernalis	vernal witch-hazel, Ozark witch-hazel	HAMAMELIDACEAE	Witch-hazel Family
Hamamelis virginiana	American witch-hazel	HAMAMELIDACEAE	Witch-hazel Family
Hydrangea arborescens	wild hydrangea	HYDRANGEACEAE	Hydrangea Family
Hydrangea quercifolia ^*?	oak-leaf hydrangea	HYDRANGEACEAE	Hydrangea Family
Hypericum apocynifolium ⁺	dogbane St. John’s-wort	HYPERICACEAE	St. John’s-wort Family
Hypericum crux-andreae	St. Peter’s-wort	HYPERICACEAE	St. John’s-wort Family
Hypericum fasciculatum ^*	peel-bark St. John’s-wort	HYPERICACEAE	St. John’s-wort Family
Hypericum hypericoides subsp. hypericoides	St. Andrew’s-cross	HYPERICACEAE	St. John’s-wort Family
Hypericum hypericoides subsp. multicaule	St. Andrew’s-cross	HYPERICACEAE	St. John’s-wort Family
Hypericum lobocarpum	five-lobe St. John’s-wort	HYPERICACEAE	St. John’s-wort Family
Hypericum prolificum	shrubby St. John’s-wort	HYPERICACEAE	St. John’s-wort Family
Ilex ambigua	Carolina holly	AQUIFOLIACEAE	Holly Family
Ilex verticillata ⁺	winterberry	AQUIFOLIACEAE	Holly Family
Itea virginica	Virginia sweetspire, Virginia-willow	ITEACEAE	Sweetspire Family
Lantana camara ^*	lantana	VERBENACEAE	Vervain Family
Leitneria floridana ⁺	corkwood	SIMAROUBACEAE	Quassia Family
Leptopus phyllanthoides	maidenbush, buckbrush	PHYLLANTHACEAE	Leaf-flower Family
Lespedeza bicolor ^*	bicolor lespedeza	FABACEAE	Bean Family
Lespedeza thunbergii ^*	Thunberg’s bush-clover, lespedeza	FABACEAE	Bean Family
Ligustrum japonicum ^*	Japanese privet	OLEACEAE	Olive Family
Ligustrum lucidum ^*	glossy privet	OLEACEAE	Olive Family
Ligustrum quihoui ^*	waxy-leaf privet	OLEACEAE	Olive Family
Ligustrum sinense ^*	Chinese privet	OLEACEAE	Olive Family
Ligustrum vulgare ^*	European privet	OLEACEAE	Olive Family
Lindera benzoin	spicebush	LAURACEAE	Laurel Family
Lindera melissifolia ⁺	pondberry	LAURACEAE	Laurel Family
Lonicera fragrantissima ^*	fragrant honeysuckle, sweet-breath-of-spring	CAPRIFOLIACEAE	Honeysuckle Family
Lonicera maackii ^*	Amur honeysuckle, bush honeysuckle	CAPRIFOLIACEAE	Honeysuckle Family
Lonicera morrowii ^*	Morrow’s honeysuckle, bush honeysuckle	CAPRIFOLIACEAE	Honeysuckle Family
Lycium barbarum ^*	matrimony-vine	SOLANACEAE	Nightshade Family
Lyonia ligustrina var. foliosiflora	maleberry	ERICACEAE	Heath Family
Lyonia mariana	staggerbush	ERICACEAE	Heath Family
Myrica cerifera	wax-myrtle	MYRICACEAE	Wax-myrtle Family
Myrica heterophylla	bayberry	MYRICACEAE	Wax-myrtle Family
Nandina domestica ^*	nandina, heavenly-bamboo	BERBERIDACEAE	Barberry Family
Neviusia alabamensis ⁺	Alabama snow-wreath	ROSACEAE	Rose Family
Opuntia cespitosa	prickly-pear	CACTACEAE	Cactus Family
Opuntia engelmannii var. lindheimeri ⁺	Texas prickly-pear	CACTACEAE	Cactus Family
Opuntia macrorhiza	western prickly-pear	CACTACEAE	Cactus Family
Opuntia nemoralis ⁺	Ouachita prickly-pear	CACTACEAE	Cactus Family
Philadelphus hirsutus ⁺	hairy mock orange	HYDRANGEACEAE	Hydrangea Family
Philadelphus inodorus ^*	Appalachian mock orange	HYDRANGEACEAE	Hydrangea Family
Philadelphus pubescens	Ozark mock orange	HYDRANGEACEAE	Hydrangea Family
Phoradendron leucarpum	mistletoe	SANTALACEAE	Sandalwood Family
Photinia melanocarpa ⁺	black chokeberry	ROSACEAE	Rose Family
Photinia pyrifolia	red chokeberry	ROSACEAE	Rose Family
Photinia serratifolia ^*	Chinese photinia	ROSACEAE	Rose Family
Phyllostachys aurea ^*	golden bamboo	POACEAE	Grass Family
Physocarpus opulifolius	ninebark	ROSACEAE	Rose Family
Polygonella americana	jointweed	POLYGONACEAE	Buckwheat Family
Prunus americana ⁺	American plum	ROSACEAE	Rose Family
Prunus angustifolia	Chickasaw plum	ROSACEAE	Rose Family
Prunus gracilis ⁺	Oklahoma plum	ROSACEAE	Rose Family
Prunus pumila var. susquehanae ⁺	sand cherry	ROSACEAE	Rose Family
Ptelea trifoliata	wafer-ash, hop-tree	RUTACEAE	Rue Family
Quercus prinoides ⁺	dwarf chinquapin oak, dwarf chestnut oak	FAGACEAE	Beech Family
Rhododendron canescens	swamp azalea, hoary azalea	ERICACEAE	Heath Family
Rhododendron prinophyllum	pink azalea, mountain azalea	ERICACEAE	Heath Family
Rhododendron viscosum	white azalea	ERICACEAE	Heath Family
Rhodotypos scandens ^*	jetbead	ROSACEAE	Rose Family
Rhus aromatica var. aromatica	fragrant sumac	ANACARDIACEAE	Sumac Family
Rhus aromatica var. serotina	fragrant sumac	ANACARDIACEAE	Sumac Family
Rhus copallinum	winged sumac, dwarf sumac, shining sumac	ANACARDIACEAE	Sumac Family
Rhus glabra	smooth sumac	ANACARDIACEAE	Sumac Family
Rhus trilobata var. trilobata ⁺	skunk-bush sumac	ANACARDIACEAE	Sumac Family
Ribes aureum var. villosum	golden currant, buffalo currant	GROSSULARIACEAE	Currant Family
Ribes curvatum	granite gooseberry	GROSSULARIACEAE	Currant Family
Ribes cynosbati ⁺	prickly gooseberry	GROSSULARIACEAE	Currant Family
Ribes missouriense	Missouri gooseberry	GROSSULARIACEAE	Currant Family
Robinia hispida var. hispida ^*	bristly locust	FABACEAE	Bean Family
Rosa bracteata ^*	McCartney rose	ROSACEAE	Rose Family
Rosa carolina	Carolina rose	ROSACEAE	Rose Family
Rosa chinensis ^*	Chinese rose	ROSACEAE	Rose Family
Rosa eglanteria ^*	sweetbrier rose	ROSACEAE	Rose Family
Rosa foliolosa ⁺	white prairie rose	ROSACEAE	Rose Family
Rosa laevigata ^*	Cherokee rose	ROSACEAE	Rose Family
Rosa multiflora ^*	multiflora rose	ROSACEAE	Rose Family
Rosa palustris	swamp rose	ROSACEAE	Rose Family
Rosa setigera	climbing rose	ROSACEAE	Rose Family
Rosa wichuraiana ^*	memorial rose	ROSACEAE	Rose Family
Rubus allegheniensis	high-bush blackberry, common blackberry	ROSACEAE	Rose Family
Rubus alumnus	high-bush blackberry	ROSACEAE	Rose Family
Rubus argutus	high-bush blackberry, southern blackberry	ROSACEAE	Rose Family
Rubus armeniacus ^*	Himalayan blackberry, Armenian blackberry	ROSACEAE	Rose Family
Rubus bifrons ^*	Himalayan-berry	ROSACEAE	Rose Family
Rubus bushii	Bush’s high-bush blackberry	ROSACEAE	Rose Family
Rubus frondosus	high-bush blackberry	ROSACEAE	Rose Family
Rubus laudatus	high-bush blackberry	ROSACEAE	Rose Family
Rubus louisianus	high-bush blackberry, swampberry	ROSACEAE	Rose Family
Rubus mollior	high-bush blackberry	ROSACEAE	Rose Family
Rubus occidentalis	black raspberry	ROSACEAE	Rose Family
Rubus phoenicolasius ^*	wineberry, wine raspberry	ROSACEAE	Rose Family
Rubus serissimus ^*	everbearing blackberry	ROSACEAE	Rose Family
Rubus suus	high-bush blackberry	ROSACEAE	Rose Family
Sabal minor	dwarf palmetto	ARECACEAE	Palm Family
Salix caroliniana	Carolina willow, Ward’s willow	SALICACEAE	Willow Family
Salix eriocephala ⁺	Missouri willow	SALICACEAE	Willow Family
Salix humilis var. humilis	upland willow, prairie willow	SALICACEAE	Willow Family
Salix humilis var. tristis	dwarf upland willow, dwarf prairie willow	SALICACEAE	Willow Family
Salix sericea ⁺	silky willow	SALICACEAE	Willow Family
Sambucus canadensis	elderberry	ADOXACEAE	Arrow-wood Family
Sesbania punicea ^*	scarlet rattlebox	FABACEAE	Bean Family
Spiraea × billiardii ^*	Billiard’s spiraea	ROSACEAE	Rose Family
Spiraea cantoniensis ^*	double bridal-wreath spiraea, Reeves’ spiraea	ROSACEAE	Rose Family
Spiraea japonica ^*	Japanese spiraea, Japanese meadowsweet	ROSACEAE	Rose Family
Spiraea prunifolia ^*	bridal-wreath spiraea	ROSACEAE	Rose Family
Spiraea thunbergii ^*	Thunberg’s spiraea	ROSACEAE	Rose Family
Spiraea tomentosa ⁺	hardhack, steeple-bush	ROSACEAE	Rose Family
Staphylea trifolia	bladdernut	STAPHYLEACEAE	Bladdernut Family
Stewartia malacodendron ⁺	silky-camellia	THEACEAE	Tea Family
Styrax americanus	American snowbell, storax	STYRACACEAE	Storax Family
Styrax grandifolius	big-leaf snowbell, big-leaf storax	STYRACACEAE	Storax Family
Symphoricarpos orbiculatus	coral-berry	CAPRIFOLIACEAE	Honeysuckle Family
Tamarix ramosissima ^*	tamarisk, salt-cedar	TAMARICACEAE	Tamarisk Family
Toxicodendron pubescens	poison-oak	ANACARDIACEAE	Sumac Family
Vaccinium arboreum	farkleberry, sparkleberry	ERICACEAE	Heath Family
Vaccinium elliottii	mayberry, Elliott’s blueberry	ERICACEAE	Heath Family
Vaccinium fuscatum	black high-bush blueberry	ERICACEAE	Heath Family
Vaccinium pallidum	low-bush blueberry	ERICACEAE	Heath Family
Vaccinium stamineum	deerberry	ERICACEAE	Heath Family
Vaccinium virgatum	high-bush blueberry	ERICACEAE	Heath Family
Viburnum acerifolium ⁺	maple-leaf viburnum, maple-leaf arrow-wood	ADOXACEAE	Arrow-wood Family
Viburnum bracteatum	Ozark arrow-wood	ADOXACEAE	Arrow-wood Family
Viburnum dentatum var. dentatum	arrow-wood	ADOXACEAE	Arrow-wood Family
Viburnum dentatum var. scabrellum ⁺	southern arrow-wood	ADOXACEAE	Arrow-wood Family
Viburnum molle ⁺	soft-leaf arrow-wood	ADOXACEAE	Arrow-wood Family
Viburnum nudum	possumhaw	ADOXACEAE	Arrow-wood Family
Viburnum rafinesquianum	downy arrow-wood	ADOXACEAE	Arrow-wood Family
Viburnum recognitum ⁺	northern arrow-wood	ADOXACEAE	Arrow-wood Family
Vitex agnus-castus ^*	chaste-tree	LAMIACEAE	Mint Family
Vitex negundo var. cannabifolia ^*	negundo chaste-tree, hemp-tree	LAMIACEAE	Mint Family
Vitex negundo var. negundo ^*	negundo chaste-tree	LAMIACEAE	Mint Family
Yucca arkansana	Arkansas yucca, soapweed	AGAVACEAE	Agave Family
Yucca filamentosa ^*	Adam’s-needle, Spanish-bayonet, yucca	AGAVACEAE	Agave Family
Yucca flaccida ^*	Adam’s-needle, Spanish-bayonet, yucca	AGAVACEAE	Agave Family
Yucca freemanii ⁺	Freeman’s yucca	AGAVACEAE	Agave Family
Yucca louisianensis	Louisiana yucca, sandhill yucca	AGAVACEAE	Agave Family

For additional information:
Gentry, Johnnie L., George P. Johnson, Brent T. Baker, C. Theo Witsell, and Jennifer D. Ogle., eds. Atlas of the Vascular Plants of Arkansas. Fayetteville: University of Arkansas Herbarium, 2013.

Hunter, Carl G. Trees, Shrubs, and Vines of Arkansas. Little Rock: Ozark Society Foundation, 2004.

Ogle, Jennifer, Theo Witsell, and Johnnie Gentry. Trees, Shrubs, and Woody Vines of Arkansas. Little Rock: Ozark Society Foundation, 2021.

Smith, Edwin B. Keys to the Flora of Arkansas. Fayetteville: University of Arkansas Press, 1994.

Tucker, Gary Edward. “A Guide to the Woody Flora of Arkansas.” PhD diss., University of Arkansas, 1976.

Theo Witsell
Arkansas Natural Heritage Commission

Last updated:
April 13, 2021

Questions or corrections?