Temperate forests contain mostly deciduous and coniferous trees. Coniferous trees, also known as conifers, make cones which house their seeds. Conifers also have needle shaped leaves. The tree that many people place in their houses during the holidays is a conifer. An easy way to remember what coniferous means is to associate the first three letters with the word cone. This way you will remember that conifers produce cones which contain the tree's seeds. Deciduous trees lose their leaves during certain seasons through the year.