Small & Understory Trees

15-40 ft

Common

Common Name	Scientific Name	Habitat	Notes
Flowering Dogwood	Cornus florida	Mesic forest understory	Spring blooms; wildlife
Eastern Redbud	Cercis canadensis	Forest edges, understory	Early pink flowers
Sassafras	Sassafras albidum	Edges, old fields	Aromatic; variable leaf shapes
American Hornbeam	Carpinus caroliniana	Floodplains, understory	Muscular gray bark
Eastern Hophornbeam	Ostrya virginiana	Dry to mesic understory	Hop-like fruit clusters
Red Mulberry	Morus rubra	Rich forests, edges	Edible fruit

Uncommon / Less Frequent

Common Name	Scientific Name	Habitat	Notes
Pawpaw	Asimina triloba	Floodplain forests	Tropical-looking; edible fruit
Fringe Tree	Chionanthus virginicus	Mesic forests, edges	Showy white flowers
Serviceberry (Downy)	Amelanchier arborea	Forest edges	Early bloomer; edible berries
Serviceberry (Canada)	Amelanchier canadensis	Swamp edges	Suckering habit
American Plum	Prunus americana	Thickets, edges	White spring flowers
Red Buckeye	Aesculus pavia	Rich bottomlands	Red flower spikes; toxic seeds
Sourwood	Oxydendrum arboreum	Dry acidic slopes	Outstanding fall color
Common Silverbell	Halesia tetraptera	Rich coves	Pendant white bells

Rare / Conservation Concern

Common Name	Scientific Name	Habitat	Notes	Status
Silky Camellia	Stewartia malacodendron	Rich wooded bluffs	White flowers with purple stamens; always uncommon	S2 — State Rare