A shrub or bush is a small to medium-sized woody plant that lives for many years. Unlike herbaceous plants, shrubs have thick, wooden stems that stay above ground. Shrubs can be either deciduous (losing their leaves in winter) or evergreen (keeping their leaves all year). They are shorter than trees, usually reaching less than 6 to 10 meters in height. Small shrubs, under 2 meters tall, are sometimes called subshrubs.
Many plant families include species that are shrubs, as well as those that are trees or herbaceous plants. Some people define shrubs as plants shorter than 6 meters, while others use 10 meters as the limit. Because of poor growing conditions, some trees never grow tall and can look like shrubs. Conversely, some shrubs can grow taller in ideal conditions. Most shrubs live longer than perennials but shorter than trees. While some may live around five years, larger ones can live over 70 years. On average, shrubs die after about eight years.
Shrubland is an area that has many different kinds of shrubs. There are various types of shrubland around the world, including fynbos, maquis, shrub-steppe, shrub swamp, and moorland. In gardens and parks, a space mostly filled with shrubs is called a shrubbery, shrub border, or shrub garden. Many garden varieties of shrubs are bred to produce flowers, such as rhododendrons, or to have unique leaf colors or shapes.
