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Broadleaf

By , About.com Guide

Picture of autumn leaf of Ginkgo biloba tree (gingko).

Ginkgo biloba is a case where a broadleaf tree literally has a "broad" leaf.

David Beaulieu
Definition: Broadleaf means having relatively broad rather than needle-like or scale-like leaves. "Broadleaf" is often applied to lawn and garden weeds fitting that description, to separate them from other weeds for purposes of categorization. But the word, "broadleaf" also refers to garden shrubs and trees that have "regular" leaves, rather than needles. Note that "broadleaf" and "evergreen" aren't necessarily opposites: evergreen plants such as azaleas, rhododendrons and mountain laurels are "broadleaf" shrubs, despite sharing the "evergreen" classification with needle-bearing shrubs such as yew.
Also Known As: broad-leaved, broad-leafed, broadleafed
Examples:
An arborvitae shrub has needles, while a loropetalum is a broadleaf shrub.

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