- Ash, Basswood, Birch, Cherry, Chestnut, Dogwood, Elm, Hickory, Magnolia, Maple, Oak, Walnut, Dutchman’s breeches (Wildflowers), Redbud, and Sassafras.
- You may hear temperate deciduous forests also called “broadleaf forests,” because the tree species that populate them have broad leaves.
- Trees like Maple, Oak, Beech, Chestnut, Elm, Hickory, etc. Have big, broad leaves that are attached to the branch by a special stem called a petiole. Unlike pine needles, these leaves are soft and easily digestible to browsing herbivores.
- In a mature forest, these tall trees form a canopy which blocks most of the sunlight from penetrating through to the plants below
- The plants that make up the understory and herbaceous layer are shade-tolerant, meaning they can survive with a lower amount of sunlight. Due to the seasonal nature of temperate deciduous forests, many of the plants in this region are perennial, meaning they grow and flower only during the warm, summer months.
- Thick, woody shrubs like rhododendron, buckthorn, sumac, honeysuckle, or dogwood dominate the dense understory.