Common Trees in Mississippi

common trees mississippi

For many Mississippians, trees are ornamentals. Trees in the area present a huge economic benefit to the State. Mississippi is covered by many forested areas, including the hardwood forests of the northern part of the State, the Magnolia-Beech forests and Longleaf Pine Ecosystem in the south, and swamps and rivers of the Delta in the western part of the State. 

Trees are dominant members of these ecosystems and provide the structure, shelter, and food for other species to live in these habitats. Some of the most common trees you’ll find in Mississippi are:

Pine

Pine trees are natives of Mississippi with the longleaf pines the common type in the region. They are pretty strong trees as shown during Hurricane Katrina. Longleaf pines braved the Katrina 48% better than their cousins loblolly.

Other common pine species in Mississippi are loblolly pines, shortleaf pines, and the slash pine.

Overall pine trees are a great part of the Mississippi forests and play a major role in the State’s economy.

Bald Cypress

Bald cypress is another common tree to find in Mississippi. It’s a native tree to the eastern and southeastern parts of North Carolina to Texas. You’ll also find them in the Ohio river and states bordering Mississippi.

While the trees occur naturally in wetlands, they can grow well in regular soil that is not too dry. You’ll find them in Mississippi Valley at 500 feet elevation.

Red Cedar 

Red cedar is another deciduous native tree of South America. In Mississippi, there are small populations of red cedar. It also goes by other names like the cedar elm or Texas cedar elm.

It grows with a rounded crown hitting heights of 24-27 meters. The tree is also widely found in Mexico and is the most common type of elm in Mexico.

Magnolia 

There are two varieties of magnolia in Mississippi. These are the Southern Magnolia and the Sweetbay magnolia. Southern magnolia is also known as bull bay and can grow up to 27.5 meters high. It’s a strikingly ever-green tree found in Smith County, Mississippi.

The variety also spreads in the De Soto Forest. We also have the Sweetbay Magnolia, which grows up to 30 meters.

Beech 

The American beech is another common tree species in Mississippi. It’s a versatile tree that grows between 16-35 meters high. The tree features a silver-gray bark and dark-green leaves. It’s a native tree to North America and one you can find in the Mountains of Mexico.

Oak 

There are numerous oak tree varieties in Mississippi. There are all varieties of oaks ranging from white oak, swamp chestnut oak, southern red oak, blackjack oak, scarlet oak, post oak, etc.

Oak trees in Mississippi represent physical dominance, with red and brown leaves a common occurrence from the oak trees. Oak trees in Mississippi are a great resource. Natives used cedar bark to make a tea that was used to treat cough.

Maple 

We also have maple trees which are the sturdiest type of trees in the Mississippi State. These trees feature one of the largest root systems that allow them to live over 100 years.

There are a few diseases that harm maple trees. These trees can also withstand cold, heat, and wind.

There are two common types of maple trees to grow in Mississippi. These are the Sugar maple and the red maple. 

Maple trees are great for the backyard growing up to 120 feet tall. They provide excellent shade in your backyard.

Sweetgum 

The Sweetgum tree is a deciduous tree that is also called the American sweetgum. It also has several common names like hazel, alligator wood, star-leaved gum, and satin-walnut.

Sweetgum features star-shaped leaves on the branches, hence the name set-leaved gum. It produces hard-spiked fruits. The tree features a red-brown coloring which is popular for veneer, plywood, and lumber.

Hickory 

Hickory trees are also common in Mississippi, growing up to 39m long. This is a slow-growing deciduous plant native to North America. The trees feature different characteristics.

The leaves alternate along the twig, with the bark coming in a wide array of gray colors.

Tulip Poplar 

The Tulip poplar, also known as a tulip tree, is a North American native tree found in Mississippi. The tree can grow up to 50 meters tall. This is a fast-growing tree in Mississippi without many weak wood problems.

In areas around the Mississippi river, the tree is commonly known as Poplar because of the flattering nature of the leaves. The tree is also referred to as a fiddle.

Flowering Dogwood 

The flowering dogwood is a native tree to North Mexico and eastern North America. It’s widely grown to the east of the Mississippi river. In public and residential areas, the tree is planted for ornamental use.

This is a flowering tree species with a funny bark structure. It’s a small deciduous tree that grows up to 10M tall. The tree is propagated by seeds sown in fall. Germination starts in early spring.

Sugarberry

This is a medium-sized tree found in North America and a common one to see in Mississippi. You can easily recognize the tre due to its bark which features wart-like bumps.

The tree is found in most forests in Mississippi. It is a great choice for furniture, plywood, crates, and athletic goods.

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