In autumn, the leaves of certain trees turn to red, orange, and gold hues, falling off the tree and leaving it bare for the winter, while others stay green despite the colder climate. These trees can be separated into two distinct groups, evergreen and deciduous trees.
As the name suggests, evergreen trees stay green year-round. Their foliage stays green through the heat of summer as well as the cold of winter. As a consequence, evergreen trees need more nutrients in winter to keep their foliage, but overall, need less nutrients as compared to deciduous trees. Common evergreen trees include: Pine, Red Cedar, and Blue Spruce.
Deciduous trees, however, lose their foliage as the seasons change. Their leaves tend to fall during winter in order to conserve nutrient energy. Their broad leaves ensure that they make enough food to sustain them during winter, when photosynthesis is difficult. Deciduous trees are winter-adapted and are able to conserve water efficiently. Common deciduous trees include: Oak, Maple, and Elm.
Deciduous v. Evergreen
Some other common differences between deciduous and evergreen trees * Leaf Appearance: Deciduous trees have broader leaves compared to evergreen trees. By comparison, evergreen trees never lose the green color of their leaves and have comparatively smaller leaves.
* Habitat and Distribution: Evergreen trees tend to grow in tropical rainforests while deciduous trees grow in temperate forests or in tropical and subtropical forests. * Flowering and Pollination: Deciduous trees flower when they are leafless, while evergreen flowering occurs when leaves are present.
* Survival: When these two types of trees grow together, evergreens have the ability to ensure their survival more so than deciduous trees.