A 'shrub' or 'bush' is a
horticultural rather than strictly
botanical category of
woody plant, distinguished from a
tree by its multiple stems and lower height, usually less than 5-6 m (15-20 ft) tall. A large number of plants can be either shrubs or trees, depending on the growing conditions they experience. Small, low shrubs such as
lavender,
periwinkle and
thyme are often termed
subshrubs.
A natural plant community dominated by shrubs is called a
shrubland.
An area of
cultivated shrubs in a
park or
garden is known as a
shrubbery. When clipped as
topiary, shrubs generally have dense
foliage and many small leafy
branches growing close together. Many shrubs respond well to renewal
pruning, in which hard cutting back to a 'stool' results in long new stems known as "canes". Other shrubs respond better to selective pruning to reveal their structure and character.
Shrubs in common garden practice are generally
broad-leaved plants, though some smaller
conifers such as
Mountain Pine and
Common Juniper are also shrubby in structure. Shrubs can be either
deciduous or
evergreen.
List of shrubs (bushes)
Those marked
★ can also develop into tree form.
External links
★
Selecting Shrubs for Your Home (University of Illinois Extension)
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