Deciduous trees shed their leaves each year.
Coniferous trees keep their leaves and then shed only the oldest leaves.
The leaves that are dropped are well down the stem from the newly developing leaves. Deciduous trees are also called broad-leaf trees as their leaves are usually wide and long. The large leaf surface allows for maximum photosynthesis during the short growing season. Deciduous trees, such as oak, maple, hickory, and beech produce flowers. The sugar maple, for example, has flowers that are attached on short stems and hang in drooping clusters.