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Shrub

Adapted from Wikipedia · Discoverer experience

A Blackthorn shrub (Prunus spinosa) growing in the Vogelsberg region.

A shrub or bush is a small to medium-sized perennial woody plant. Unlike plants that die back each year, shrubs have woody stems that stay above the ground. They can lose their leaves in winter or keep them year-round, depending on the type. Shrubs are different from trees because they usually have many stems and are not very tall—generally less than 6–10 metres (20–33 feet).

A broom shrub in flower

Shrubland is a special kind of landscape where shrubs grow wild. There are many types around the world, like fynbos, maquis, and moorland. In gardens, areas filled with shrubs are called a shrubbery or shrub garden. People often grow special types of shrubs for their beautiful flowers, like rhododendrons, or for their unique leaves.

Some shrubs are useful to humans. A few can provide berries to eat, though many are too small for big timber like trees. Others, such as lavender and rose, are used for their pleasant scents. Some shrubs also have medicinal uses. Even drinks like tea and coffee come from plants that are often shrub-sized, sitting between a typical shrub and a small tree.

Definition

Shrubs are small, woody plants that live for many years. They have woody stems that stay above the ground, unlike plants without woody parts. Shrubs are usually shorter than trees and have many stems instead of one main trunk. Some shrubs lose their leaves each year (deciduous), like hawthorn, while others keep their leaves all year (evergreen), like holly. Very small shrubs, such as lavender and periwinkle, are sometimes called subshrubs.

Evolution and adaptive value of growth form

Scientists have wondered why some plants grow as shrubs and others as trees. Shrubs have many stems, which can help them grow faster and make more seeds. If one stem dies, others can keep the plant alive. Some shrubs can also grow in tough places where trees cannot, like very cold or high mountain areas.

Recently, places near the North Pole have seen more shrubs growing. This is partly because the world is getting warmer, which changes where plants can live.

Use in gardens and parks

A special area in a park or garden filled with cultivated shrubs is called a shrubbery. When shrubs are shaped into fun designs, they are called topiary. They grow thick leaves and many small branches close together. Some shrubs can be trimmed by cutting them back to their base, called a "stool", which makes new long stems grow. Other shrubs are trimmed carefully to remove dead or unhealthy parts.

Most garden shrubs are broad-leaved plants, but some small conifers like mountain pine and common juniper also grow in a shrub-like way. These shrubs can either lose their leaves in winter or keep them all year.

Botanical structure

See also: Shrubland

Shrub vegetation (with some cactus) in Webb County, Texas.
Blackthorn shrub (Prunus spinosa) in the Vogelsberg

In the study of plants, a shrub is a type of woody plant that is less than 8 metres (26 feet) tall and usually has several stems growing close to the ground.

Shrubs can be grouped based on their height and how much leaves they have. For shrubs that are between 2 and 8 metres tall, they can be called closed-shrubs if they have lots of leaves, open-shrubs if they have a medium amount of leaves, tall shrubland if they have a small amount of leaves, and tall open shrubland if they have very few leaves.

For shrubs shorter than 2 metres, they can be called closed-heath or closed low shrubland if they have lots of leaves, open-heath or mid-dense low shrubland if they have a medium amount of leaves, low shrubland if they have a small amount of leaves, and low open shrubland if they have very few leaves.

List

Those marked with * can also develop into tree form if in ideal conditions.

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  • Ulex (Gorse)
  • Ulmus pumila celer (Turkestan elm – Wonder Hedge)
  • Ungnadia (Mexican Buckeye)

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Images

Beautiful rhododendron gardens in Sheringham Park, located in Norfolk, England.
A beautiful blue hydrangea flower blooming in the Vogelsberg region.
A witch-hazel plant blooming in winter in the Vogelsberg Mountains.
A Senecio angulatus plant growing by the coast.

Related articles

Rose
Fynbos
Heath
Flowering plant

This article is a child-friendly adaptation of the Wikipedia article on Shrub, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

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