Deciduous vs Evergreen: What’s the Difference?

The difference at a glance

Deciduous plants drop their leaves seasonally to survive stress. Evergreens keep their foliage year-round, regardless of the season.

What does Deciduous mean?

adjective · /dɪˈsɪd.ju.əs/

Of trees and shrubs, shedding leaves annually — typically in autumn — as a biological adaptation to seasonal cold or drought. Deciduous forests have a distinct character in each season: full green canopy in summer, bare skeleton in winter.

Deciduous in a sentence

New England's deciduous forests in October are the most visited natural phenomenon in the United States.

She planted deciduous trees along the south wall: summer shade, winter light — the garden thinking ahead.

What does Evergreen mean?

adjective / noun · /ˈɛv.ə.ɡriːn/

Retaining green leaves throughout the year; not shedding leaves seasonally. Also: having an enduring freshness, success, or relevance. An evergreen song, an evergreen idea — one that does not age or become irrelevant.

Evergreen in a sentence

The pine stood evergreen through January's worst storms — still dark green against the grey sky.

Some books are evergreen — you return to them at different ages and they have different things to say.

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