Things to Know About Deciduous Plants

Deciduous PlantsCold Stream Farm is a wholesale/retail bare root tree and shrub nursery in Free Soil, Michigan. We offer a variety of plants for sale, including deciduous shrubs and trees. What are some things we think you should know about deciduous plants?

Deciduous Meaning

First things first– what does the word deciduous mean? It refers to the falling off at maturity of leaves, petals and/or ripe fruit. So, if you’ve seen a shrub or tree shed leaves around September, October or November, you’re looking at a deciduous plant. Typically, these are some of the most beautiful features of a yard– the foliage that blooms in spring and summer, gets extra colorful in fall, and then drops leaves before winter sets in. Bushes and trees that don’t shed leaves during the fall are called evergreens because they’re “ever green” all year long– they don’t drop leaves or needles.

Ancillary Benefits

Besides looking good, deciduous plants are good for providing shade and reducing soil erosion. Generally, it’s a good idea to prune them, which helps them thrive. Deciduous trees include maples, birch, willow, oak and hickory. Flowering trees include crepe myrtle, dogwood and redbud. Fruit trees include apple, pear, and peach. Deciduous shrubs include barberry, butterfly bush and azalea.

People often choose deciduous plants for their yard based on the area’s soil and climate, as well as to add seasonal interest thanks to color and texture. Meanwhile, shrubs help serve as windbreaks, privacy screens and/or wildlife habitats.

Interesting Deciduous Facts

Why do deciduous plants have leaves that change colors? When fall arrives, the days get shorter and/or they become drought-stressed. Thus, the plants decrease chlorophyll pigment production. Other pigments present in the leaf then become apparent, such that “green” leaves show off different pigments before falling off.

Cold Stream Farm offers a variety of wholesale deciduous shrubs for sale, including alder, bayberry, bearberry, butterfly bush, buttonbush, chokeberry, elderberry, hawthorn, hibiscus, hydrangea, lilac, ninebark, snowberry, sumac, winterberry, and wisteria, among others. Cold Stream Farm’s deciduous trees for sale include apricot, ash, aspen, beech, birch, cherry, chestnut, cottonwood, elm, gum, hickory, maple, mulberry, oak, pawpaw, pecan, plum, redbud, sycamore, walnut and willow, among others.

Do you have questions about deciduous plants? Please call Cold Stream Farm at 231-464-5809 or email info@coldstreamfarm.net.