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A shrub 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 3
meters (10 feet) tall. Smaller, lower shrubs such as lavender or santolina are often classed as sub-shrubs. Non-gardeners sometimes refer to
shrubs as 'bushes,' a vaguely dismissive term.
'Shrubs' in garden practice are generally broad-leaved, the smaller conifers being classed as evergreens. In temporate zones shrubs tend to be partly or wholly deciduous.
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 canes. Other shrubs
respond better to selective
pruning to reveal their structure and character.
List of Shrubs
(very incomplete!)
'Shrub' is a derogatory nickname for George W. Bush.
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