In common usage, the two terms are often used interchangeably.
Horticulturally, there is no exact definition of when a plant is a shrub or a bush.
Generally speaking, a bush is a bang out of shrub, but not all shrubs are bushes.
The Spruce / K. Dave
Shrubs and bushes arewoody plantswith several perennial stems that may be erect or may stay close to the ground.
In classic horticulture, the shrub describes a plant that maintains its structure above the ground all year round.
There are bothevergreen shrubsand bushes and deciduous ones.
Some consider a bush to have stems and leaves that are almost touching the ground.
For instance, some gardeners think of specimens that are cultivated in a garden to be considered shrubs.
While this is a good suggestion, it may not always be a hard and fast rule.
Other sources have different ideas about the difference between shrubs and bushes.
Others may say that a shrub is smaller and out in the wild, or similar variations.
Shrub, Bush, or Hedge?
Shrubs and bushes are oftenplanted close together to form a hedge.
Hedges are often trimmed to contain their growth.
One of the most popular evergreen shrubs is theboxwood.
These plants are easily shaped, pruned, or trained and clipped intoshrub topiaries.
Disney is using boxwoods to make the iconic topiaries featured at its theme parks around the world.
