Most forests contain a mixture of several types of trees and plants, and deciduous forests are no different. Stands (groups) of coniferous and nonconiferous evergreen trees may exist within their boundaries.

The trees and smaller plants in a forest grow to different heights, forming "layers." The crowns of the tallest trees create a canopy, or roof, over the rest. In the deciduous forest, the tallest trees are often oaks and hickories. Beneath their canopy grow shorter, shade-tolerant trees, such as maples. This shorter layer is called the understory. The next layer, only a few feet off the ground, is composed of small shrubs, such as junipers, and some flowering plants. The very lowest layer consists of small plants that live atop the soil.

Plant life within most deciduous forests includes not only trees but also bacteria; algae, fungi, and lichens; and green plants other than trees...