Plant Life

    

One of the most interesting things about a temperate deciduous forest is it's plant life.

Temperate deciduous forests are covered in an abundance of different kinds of trees, shrubs, herbs, and mosses. A great reason to visit our forests is because of all the natural beauty.

(There are dozens of types,but these are the main ones)

Trees

       Beech            Oak              Pine           Chestnut                            Elm                              Hickory                     Maple                     Basswood                         Linden                      Walnut                  Sweet Gum

Shrubs

      Eglantine               Hydrangea                  Azalea                      Butterfly Bush                 Common              Lilac                          Buffaloberry               Sandcherry

Many of these plants adapt to their environment as the seasons change.

Summer

• Plants make their leaves broader to capture maximum sunlight
• Photosynthesis converts the sunlight into food for the plant
• The extra food is then stored to help the plant survive the cold winter

Fall

• The leaves' chlorophyll starts to decompose revealing colors such as red, orange, and yellow
• This is also in preparation for winter

Winter

• Plants become dormant, and their leaves fall off
• The plant creates a protective seal where the leaves were so the plant doesn't freeze

Spring

• Warm weather signals to the plants that they should regrow
• The process of photosynthesis starts again