Many people believe that the terms “evergreen” and “deciduous” are the same as “conifer” and “broad-leaved” when it comes to describing trees.
“Evergreen” and “deciduous” refers to whether or not they lose their leaves/needles during times of cold or drought. However it is “conifer” and “broad-leaved” that is used to describe the species.
There are evergreen broad-leaved trees such as the Southern Magnolia:
As well as deciduous conifers such as the Dawn Redwood:
So the next time you hear someone use these terms interchangeably, you have the knowledge to correct them.
