Shrub

A broom shrub in flower

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 6 m 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. The word bush can also refer to a type of plant community, as in the Australian bush. This is often characterised by scrubby, open woodland and is a generic term for Eucalyptus dominated woodland in particular.

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

Those marked * can also develop into tree form.A
Abelia (Abelia)
Actinidia (Actinidia)
Aralia (Angelica Tree, Hercules' Club)
Arctostaphylos (Bearberry, Manzanita)
Aronia (Chokeberry)
Artemisia (Sagebrush)
Aucuba (Aucuba);B
Berberis (Barberry)
Bougainvillea (Bougainvillea)
Brugmansia (Angel's trumpet)
Buddleja (Butterfly bush)
Buxus (Box) *C
Calia (Mescalbean)
Callicarpa (Beautyberry)
Callistemon (Bottlebrush)
Calluna (Heather)
Calycanthus (Sweetshrub)
Camellia (Camellia, Tea)
Caragana (Pea-tree)
Carpenteria (Carpenteria)
Caryopteris (Blue Spiraea)
Cassiope (Moss-heather)
Ceanothus (Ceanothus)
Celastrus (Staff vine)
Ceratostigma (Hardy Plumbago)
Cercocarpus (Mountain-mahogany)
Chaenomeles (Japanese Quince)
Chamaebatiaria (Fernbush)
Chamaedaphne (Leatherleaf)
Chimonanthus (Wintersweet)
Chionanthus (Fringe-tree)
Choisya (Mexican-orange Blossom)
Cistus (Rockrose)
Clerodendrum (Clerodendrum)
Clethra (Summersweet, Pepperbush)
Clianthus (Glory Pea)
Colletia (Colletia)
Colutea (Bladder Senna)
Comptonia (Sweetfern)
Cornus (Dogwood)
Corylopsis (Winter-hazel)
Cotinus (Smoketree)
Cotoneaster (Cotoneaster)
Cowania (Cliffrose)
Crataegus (Hawthorn)
Crinodendron (Crinodendron)
Cytisus and allied genera (Broom) *;D
Daboecia (Heath)
Danae (Alexandrian Laurel)
Daphne (Daphne)
Decaisnea (Decaisnea)
Dasiphora (Shrubby Cinquefoil)
Dendromecon (Tree Poppy)
Desfontainea (Desfontainea)
Deutzia (Deutzia)
Diervilla (Bush Honeysuckle)
Dipelta (Dipelta)
Dirca (Leatherwood)
Drimys (Winter's Bark)
Dryas (Mountain Avens)E
Elaeagnus (Elaeagnus)
Embothrium (Chilean Firebush)
Empetrum (Crowberry)
Enkianthus (Pagoda Bush)
Ephedra (Ephedra)
Epigaea (Trailing Arbutus)
Erica (Heath)
Eriobotrya (Loquat)
Escallonia (Escallonia)
Eucryphia (Eucryphia)
Euonymus (Spindle)
Exochorda (Pearl Bush);F
Fabiana (Fabiana)
Fallugia (Apache Plume)
Fatsia (Fatsia)
Forsythia (Forsythia)
Fothergilla (Fothergilla)
Franklinia (Franklinia)
Fremontodendron (Flannelbush)
Fuchsia (Fuchsia) *G
Garrya (Silk-tassel)
Gaultheria (Salal)
Gaylussacia (Huckleberry)
Genista (Broom)
Gordonia (Loblolly-bay)
Grevillea (Grevillea)
Griselinia (Griselinia) *;H
Hakea (Hakea)
Halesia (Silverbell)
Halimium (Rockrose)
Hamamelis (Witch-hazel)
Hebe (Hebe)
Hedera (Ivy)
Helianthemum (Rockrose)
Hibiscus (Hibiscus)
Hippophae (Sea-buckthorn)
Hoheria (Lacebark)
Holodiscus (Creambush)
Hudsonia (Hudsonia)
Hydrangea (Hydrangea)
Hypericum (Rose of Sharon)
Hyssopus (Hyssop)I
Ilex (Holly)
Illicium (Star Anise)
Indigofera (Indigo)
Itea (Sweetspire);J
Jamesia (Cliffbush)
Jasminum (Jasmine)
Juniperus (Juniper) *K
Kalmia (Mountain-laurel)
Kerria (Kerria)
Kolkwitzia (Beauty-bush);L
Lagerstroemia (Crape-myrtle)
Lapageria (Copihue)
Lavandula (Lavender)
Lavatera (Tree Mallow)
Ledum (Ledum)
Leitneria (Corkwood)
Lespedeza (Bush Clover)
Leptospermum (Manuka)
Leucothoe (Doghobble)
Leycesteria (Leycesteria)
Ligustrum (Privet)
Lindera (Spicebush)
Linnaea (Twinflower)
Lonicera (Honeysuckle)
Lupinus (Tree Lupin)
Lycium (Boxthorn)M
Magnolia (Magnolia)
Mahonia (Mahonia)
Malpighia (Acerola)
Menispermum (Moonseed)
Menziesia (Menziesia)
Mespilus (Medlar)
Microcachrys (Microcachrys)
Myrica (Bayberry)
Myricaria (Myricaria)
Myrtus and allied genera (Myrtle) *;N
Neillia (Neillia)
Nerium (Oleander)O
Olearia (Daisy Bush)
Osmanthus (Osmanthus) ;P
Pachysandra (Pachysandra)
Paeonia (Tree-peony)
Perovskia (Russian Sage)
Philadelphus (Mock-orange)
Phlomis (Jerusalem Sage)
Photinia (Photinia)
Physocarpus (Ninebark)
Pieris (Pieris)
Pistacia (Pistachio, Mastic)
Pittosporum (Pittosporum)
Polygala (Milkwort)
Poncirus
Prunus (Cherry)
Purshia (Antelope Bush)
Pyracantha (Firethorn)Q
Quassia (Quassia)
Quercus (Oak)
Quillaja (Quillay)
Quintinia (Tawheowheo) *;R
Rhamnus (Buckthorn)
Rhododendron (Rhododendron, Azalea)
Rhus (Sumac)
Ribes (Currant)
Romneya (Tree Poppy)
Rosa (Rose)
Rosmarinus (Rosemary)
Rubus (Bramble)
Ruta (Rue)S
Sabia
Salix (Willow)
Salvia (Sage)
Sambucus (Elder)
Santolina (Lavender Cotton)
Sapindus (Soapberry)
Senecio (Senecio)
Simmondsia (Jojoba)
Skimmia (Skimmia)
Smilax (Smilax)
Sophora (Kowhai)
Sorbaria (Sorbaria)
Spartium (Spanish Broom)
Spiraea (Spiraea)
Staphylea (Bladdernut)
Stephanandra (Stephanandra)
Styrax (Storax)
Symphoricarpos (Snowberry)
Syringa (Lilac) *;T
Tamarix (Tamarix)
Taxus (Yew)
Telopea (Waratah)
Thymelaea
Thymus (Thyme)
Trochodendron *U
Ulex (Gorse)
Ungnadia (Mexican Buckeye);V
Vaccinium (Bilberry, Blueberry, Cranberry)
Verbena (Vervain)
Viburnum (Viburnum)
Vinca (Periwinkle)
Viscum (Mistletoe)W
Weigela (Weigela) ;X
Xanthoceras
Xanthorhiza (Yellowroot)
XylosmaY
Yucca (Yucca, Joshua tree) *;Z
Zanthoxylum
Zauschneria
Zenobia
Ziziphus