Late spring frosts can damage vegetative tissues and may result in reduced tree growth. If this damage varies among tree species, it has the potential to influence forest community composition. We examined tree responses to a late spring frost in an Ozark forest to determine variation among seven species that included mesic species increasing in the region and historically dominant xeric trees. Stem damage was surveyed a few weeks after a frost event and growth changes by determining radial growth in harvested saplings at the end of the growing season. Trees varied dramatically in the incidence of damage, ranging from less than 2% of stem tips damaged in Acer rubrum L. and Cornus florida L. to greater than 85% damaged in Quercus stellata Beadle and Carya glabra (Mill.) Sweet. In most species, growth relative to the previous year declined anywhere from 17 to 35%. Despite a high incidence of stem damage, the growth of Carya glabra was unaffected by the frost event. These results confirm that late frost damage can differentially affect tree species in Ozark forests. However, the lack of association between damage levels and subsequent growth makes the magnitude of this impact difficult to assess.