Deciduous Trees, Shrubs, and Vines: 26 Examples

When you think of trees turning brilliant colors of red and orange in the fall or ushering in spring with their first green buds, you're thinking of deciduous trees, which are trees that lose their leaves at the end of each growing season. These include trees like oaks, maples, and walnuts.

The word "deciduous" comes from the Latin word " “decidere,” which means "to fall." The autumn season is alternately called "fall" precisely because it is during this season that the leaves fall from the deciduous trees. Read on to find out characteristics and examples of deciduous trees.

Why Do Deciduous Trees Lose Their Leaves?

Deciduous trees shed their leaves in fall to get ready for winter. Shedding leaves allows them to conserve energy during shorter days with less sunlight. This also reduces strain on the branches, allowing the wind to blow through them with little resistance and making them lighter in weight, even if snow piles up. As a bonus, the process yields the wonderful fall colors that we so admire.

Deciduous Trees vs. Evergreen Trees 

The biggest difference between deciduous trees and evergreen trees is, of course, their leaf growth patterns. Deciduous trees have a specific growth period during which their leaves bud, grow, and then reach maturity. Once they've reached maturity, their leaves fall, and we begin to rake.

Evergreen trees are continuously growing leaves, with new ones replacing old ones as they fall. Deciduous trees also have broader leaves compared to evergreen's smaller leaves. Not surprisingly, evergreens require more energy to grow since they are always in growth mode.

Coniferous trees are another category, which are often evergreens that grow needle-like leaves that are called conifers or cones, but deciduous trees can also fall into this group if they grow cones.

Why Deciduous Tree Leaves Change Colors

Prior to deciduous trees actually dropping their leaves, the leaves first turn a brilliant array of warm, autumnal colors. This process happens as the trees stop their chlorophyll production when the days get shorter in the fall.

As this happens, the trees produce carotenoid pigments, tannins, and anthocyanin pigments, all of which contribute to the vibrant reds, yellows, and oranges that emerge during leaf peeping season in the fall, as well as the darker purples and browns.

Examples of Deciduous Trees

The best-known deciduous trees are the fall-foliage trees. The latter attract so-called "leaf peepers" in droves every autumn season when the color of their leaves changes. After this brilliant display, they shed their foliage before winter and do not regain it until their buds unfurl in spring.

The coloration of deciduous trees with great fall color ranges from yellow or orange to red or purplish, and some can even produce multi-colored fall foliage. Examples of great specimens for the landscape include:

• Red maple (Acer rubrum)
• Sugar maple (Acer saccharum)
• Maidenhair tree  (Ginkgo biloba)
• American sweetgum (Liquidambar styraciflua)
• Red oaks (Quercus rubra)
• English oak (Quercus robur)
• Birch (Betula spp.)
• Ash (Fraxinus spp.)
• Willow (Salix spp.)
• Quaking aspen (Populus tremuloides)
• Tri-color beech (Fagus sylvatica 'Purpurea Tricolor')
• Walnut (Juglans spp.)
• Sunburst honey locust (Gleditsia triacanthos var. inermis 'Suncole')
• Golden larch (Pseudolarix amabilis)
• Dawn redwood (Metasequoia glyptostroboides)

But not all deciduous trees offer vibrant fall color, including the following examples:

• Catalpa (Catalpa speciosa)
• Silk tree (Albizia julibrissin)
• Silver maple (Acer saccharinum)
• Lombardy poplar (Populus nigra 'Italica')
• Katsura (Cercidiphyllum japonicum)

Examples of Deciduous Shrubs

We can divide deciduous shrubs, too, into two categories: shrubs with nice fall foliage, and those whose leaves do not offer much value in autumn. For small properties, growing bushes with dazzling fall-foliage displays is a sensible alternative to growing large trees.

There are even shrubs that put on their best display of foliage in spring, such as Gold Mound spirea. The following are examples of deciduous shrubs worth growing for their fall foliage, alone:

• Ninebark (Physocarpus opulifolius)
• Burning bush (Euonymus alatus)
• Arrowwood viburnum (Viburnum dentatum)
• Virginia sweetspire (Itea virginica)
• Stewartstonian azalea (Rhododendron 'Stewartstonian')

By contrast, these deciduous shrubs are grown primarily for their flowers, not for their fall leaves:

• Hydrangea shrubs (Hydrangea spp.), other than oakleaf hydrangea  (H. quercifolia), which has splendid fall color
• Rose of Sharon (Hibiscus syriacus)
• Butterfly bush (Buddleia davidii)
• Hardy hibiscus (Hibiscus moscheutos)
• Flowering quince (Chaenomeles speciosa)
• Common lilac (Syringa vulgaris)

Beware of Invasive Vines

As with trees and shrubs, vine plants can be classified as deciduous or evergreen. There are few evergreen choices for the North, especially beyond zone 6. Those vines robust enough to keep their leaves all winter (or most of the winter, at least) in very cold regions can be invasive, including:

• English ivy (Hedera helix)
• Wintercreeper (Euonymus fortunei)
• Winter jasmine (Jasminum nudiflorum)

Some deciduous vines are also invasive, including Oriental bittersweet (Celastrus orbiculatus). One of the best deciduous vines to grow is Arctic kiwi (Actinidia kolomikta 'Arctic Beauty'), which bears tricolored leaves in spring (pink, white, and green). 

Tips for Choosing Deciduous Trees and Shrubs

When you're choosing between the many available deciduous trees and shrubs to plant near your home, keep these tips in mind:

• Choose a species that is hardy to your USDA hardiness zone.
• Research the potential mature width of the plant, and make sure there is enough space.
• Consider which leaf colors you prefer in autumn.
• Decide if you would like a fruiting tree.
• Remember that the falling leaves will require more raking and sweeping, so consider planting location carefully.
• Don't overlook evergreens, which are tidy and add color to the winter landscape.