Trees and shrubs fit into two main categories: deciduous and coniferous.

Deciduous

Deciduous trees, such as this amur maple, have leaves that change colors and drop in the fall. Photo: Nebraska Forest Service.

Deciduous trees and shrubs, sometimes referred to as hardwoods, are trees that commonly drop their leaves in the fall of each year. They bear their seeds in a variety of ways, many of which provide food for animals and people. Popular trees often used in agroforestry practices, such as oak, maple, elm, ash, honey locust and hackberry, are deciduous. Many fruit trees, such as apple, peach and cherry, and nut trees, such as walnut, pecan and hickory, are also deciduous.

There are many deciduous shrubs valued for their various uses in agroforestry as well. Roses add beauty to the landscape and produce commercially valuable products, such as rose hips. Fruit- and nut-bearing shrubs include sand cherries, elderberries, hazelnuts and many others. Many shrubs also provide essential cover and food for wildlife.

Coniferous

This blue spruce is one example of a coniferous tree. Photo: Nebraska Forest Service.

Coniferous trees, also called evergreens, are generally characterized as having needles, rather than leaves, and bearing seeds on cones or cone-like bodies. Unlike deciduous trees, most coniferous species retain their foliage throughout the year. Thus, many species of coniferous trees are used in windbreaks to provide year-round wind protection. Examples of coniferous trees include pine, fir, spruce, cedar, juniper, yew and hemlock. It is important to note that some coniferous trees, such as baldcypress and larch, drop their needles in the fall. In addition, most conifers grow in an upright conical shape, but several species of juniper, yew and hemlock can form low ground covers or thick hedges.