What Is a Shrub?
They are unlikeherbaceous plantswith soft stems.
Shrubs usually have a height of less than 10 feet and stems no more than three inches in diameter.
The Spruce / K. Dave
Deciduous andevergreen shrubsare pillars of landscape design.
Shrubs vs.
Here are four ways to make that determination.
The Spruce / K. Dave
“Trees add shade and perspective and usually frame our homes and yards.
Anything smaller is ground cover.
Anything larger is a tree.
The Spruce / K. Dave
Most bushes are also easy to place in the landscape.”
Note that there is some disagreement about the maximum height of shrubs.
In any case, both heights are generally less than mature trees.
A shrub is a bush growing in a low, dense shape.
Meanwhile, a shrub has several main stems growing from ground level rather than one trunk.
Leaves
The leaves of a shrub or bush are typically smaller and denser.
You’ll have many branches closely packed within a smaller shape and height.
Meanwhile, a tree often has an airier feel to its branches and leaves.
What Is an Herbal Shrub?
An herbal shrub is an herb with a shrub-like growth pattern.
These are examples of herbal shrubs grown asevergreen shrubsin some climates.
Some trees, such as river birch and Japanese maple, may have multiple trunks.
Nutty plants such as hazelnuts (filberts) can be grown as either shrubs or trees.
If left alone, they can become “trubs.”
A trub is a plant that cannot decide if it is a tree or a shrub.
It gets bushy but grows to more than 15 feet, classifying it as a true trub.
When trained as a tree, hazelnuts can grow to about 20 feet high with an equal spread."
Shrubs can be perennial, woody perennials that go dormant and lose their leaves but return year after year.
Depending onhow you prune it, a shrub can be grown to resemble a tree.
Good examples are lilac or blooming star magnolia.
A shrub by any other name is a bush.
Utah State University Extension.
What is a tree?Utah State University Forestry Extension.
Filberts: Nutty trees, shrubs, and trubs.
Utah State University Extension.
