Shrub
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.
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)
ThymelaeaThymus (
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
XanthocerasXanthorhiza (
Yellowroot)
XylosmaY
Yucca (Yucca, Joshua tree) *;Z
Zanthoxylum ZauschneriaZenobiaZiziphus 
