The understory is the underlying layer of vegetation in a forest or wooded area, especially the trees and shrubs growing between the forest canopy and the forest floor. There are many different kinds of Deciduous understory trees. Some are just juveniles of large trees that are suppressed by the larger trees. Others may be growing at the edge of the forest or woodlands. Many of these can also be planted in full sun and in that case would not be classified as an understory tree on your property. Another good use is around ponds. They will provide cover for wildlife but will not grow too big to shade out the pond. These can be young trees or dwarfs. A few are pictured here for your review. However, the best resource for identifying trees is with a field guide.

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Below is a list of field guides that would be very helpful to identify your deciduous trees.