A shrub or bush is a small to medium-sized

perennial In horticulture, the term perennial ('' per-'' + '' -ennial'', "through the year") is used to differentiate a plant from shorter-lived annuals and biennials. It has thus been defined as a plant that lives more than 2 years. The term is also ...

woody plant A woody plant is a plant that produces wood as its structural tissue and thus has a hard stem. In cold climates, woody plants further survive winter or dry season above ground, as opposed to Herbaceous plant, herbaceous plants that die back to t ...

. Unlike

herbaceous plant Herbaceous plants are vascular plants that have no persistent woody stems above ground. This broad category of plants includes many perennials, and nearly all annuals and biennials. Definitions of "herb" and "herbaceous" The fourth edition o ...

s, shrubs have persistent woody stems above the ground. Shrubs can be either deciduous or evergreen. They are distinguished from

tree In botany, a tree is a perennial plant with an elongated stem, or trunk, usually supporting branches and leaves. In some usages, the definition of a tree may be narrower, e.g., including only woody plants with secondary growth, only ...

s by their multiple stems and shorter

height Height is measure of vertical distance, either vertical extent (how "tall" something or someone is) or vertical position (how "high" a point is). For an example of vertical extent, "This basketball player is 7 foot 1 inches in height." For an e ...

, less than tall. Small shrubs, less than tall are sometimes termed as

subshrub A subshrub (Latin ''suffrutex'') or undershrub is either a small shrub (e.g. prostrate shrubs) or a perennial that is largely herbaceous but slightly woody at the base (e.g. garden pink and florist's chrysanthemum). The term is often interch ...

s. Many botanical groups have species that are shrubs, and others that are trees and herbaceous plants instead. Some define a shrub as less than and a tree as over 6 m. Others use as the cutoff point for classification. Many trees do not reach this mature height because of hostile, less than ideal growing conditions, and resemble shrub-sized plants. Others in such species have the potential to grow taller in ideal conditions. For longevity, most shrubs are classified between perennials and trees. Some only last about five years in good conditions. Others, usually larger and more woody, live beyond 70. On average, they die after eight years.

Shrubland Shrubland, scrubland, scrub, brush, or bush is a plant community characterized by vegetation dominance (ecology), dominated by shrubs, often also including grasses, herbaceous plant, herbs, and geophytes. Shrubland may either occur naturally o ...

is the natural landscape dominated by various shrubs; there are many distinct types around the world, including

fynbos Fynbos (; , ) is a small belt of natural shrubland or heathland vegetation located in the Western Cape and Eastern Cape provinces of South Africa. The area is predominantly coastal and mountainous, with a Mediterranean climate. The fynbos ...

, maquis, shrub-steppe,

shrub swamp Shrub swamps — also called scrub swamps or buttonbush swamps — are a type of freshwater wetland ecosystem occurring in areas too wet to become swamps ("true" or freshwater swamp forest), but too dry or too shallow to become marshes. They a ...

and

moorland Moorland or moor is a type of Habitat (ecology), habitat found in upland (geology), upland areas in temperate grasslands, savannas, and shrublands and the biomes of montane grasslands and shrublands, characterised by low-growing vegetation on So ...

. In gardens and parks, an area largely dedicated to shrubs (now somewhat less fashionable than a century ago) is called a shrubbery, shrub border or shrub garden. There are many garden

cultivar A cultivar is a kind of Horticulture, cultivated plant that people have selected for desired phenotypic trait, traits and which retains those traits when Plant propagation, propagated. Methods used to propagate cultivars include division, root a ...

s of shrubs, bred for flowering, for example

rhododendron ''Rhododendron'' (; : ''rhododendra'') is a very large genus of about 1,024 species of woody plants in the Ericaceae, heath family (Ericaceae). They can be either evergreen or deciduous. Most species are native to eastern Asia and the Himalayan ...

s, and sometimes even leaf colour or shape. Compared to trees and herbaceous plants, a small number of shrubs have culinary usage. Apart from the several

berry A berry is a small, pulpy, and often edible fruit. Typically, berries are juicy, rounded, brightly colored, sweet, sour or tart, and do not have a stone or pit although many pips or seeds may be present. Common examples of berries in the cul ...

-bearing species (using the culinary rather than botanical definition), few are eaten directly, and they are generally too small for much

timber Lumber is wood that has been processed into uniform and useful sizes (dimensional lumber), including beams and planks or boards. Lumber is mainly used for construction framing, as well as finishing (floors, wall panels, window frames). ...

use unlike trees. Those that are used include several perfumed species such as

lavender ''Lavandula'' (common name lavender) is a genus of 47 known species of perennial flowering plants in the sage family, Lamiaceae. It is native plant, native to the Old World, primarily found across the drier, warmer regions of the Mediterranean ...

and

rose A rose is either a woody perennial plant, perennial flowering plant of the genus ''Rosa'' (), in the family Rosaceae (), or the flower it bears. There are over three hundred Rose species, species and Garden roses, tens of thousands of cultivar ...

, and a wide range of plants with medicinal uses. Tea and

coffee Coffee is a beverage brewed from roasted, ground coffee beans. Darkly colored, bitter, and slightly acidic, coffee has a stimulating effect on humans, primarily due to its caffeine content, but decaffeinated coffee is also commercially a ...

are on the tree-shrub boundary; they are normally harvested from shrub-sized plants, but these would be large enough to become small trees if left to grow instead.

Definition

Shrubs are perennial woody plants, and therefore have persistent woody stems above ground (compare with succulent stems of

s). Usually, shrubs are distinguished from trees by their height and multiple stems. Some shrubs are

deciduous In the fields of horticulture and botany, the term deciduous () means "falling off at maturity" and "tending to fall off", in reference to trees and shrubs that seasonally shed Leaf, leaves, usually in the autumn; to the shedding of petals, aft ...

(e.g. hawthorn) and others

evergreen In botany, an evergreen is a plant which has Leaf, foliage that remains green and functional throughout the year. This contrasts with deciduous plants, which lose their foliage completely during the winter or dry season. Consisting of many diffe ...

(e.g.

holly ''Ilex'' () or holly is a genus of over 570 species of flowering plants in the family Aquifoliaceae, and the only living genus in that family. ''Ilex'' has the most species of any woody dioecious angiosperm genus. The species are evergreen o ...

Ancient Greek Ancient Greek (, ; ) includes the forms of the Greek language used in ancient Greece and the classical antiquity, ancient world from around 1500 BC to 300 BC. It is often roughly divided into the following periods: Mycenaean Greek (), Greek ...

philosopher

Theophrastus Theophrastus (; ; c. 371 – c. 287 BC) was an ancient Greek Philosophy, philosopher and Natural history, naturalist. A native of Eresos in Lesbos, he was Aristotle's close colleague and successor as head of the Lyceum (classical), Lyceum, the ...

divided the plant world into trees, shrubs and herbs. Small, low shrubs, generally less than tall, such as

, periwinkle and most small garden varieties of

, are often termed as

s. Most definitions characterize shrubs as possessing multiple stems with no main trunk below. This is because the stems have branched below ground level. There are exceptions to this, with some shrubs having main trunks, but these tend to be very short and divide into multiple stems close to ground level without a reasonable length beforehand. Many trees can grow in multiple stemmed forms also while being tall enough to be trees, such as oak or ash.

Use in gardens and parks

An area of cultivated shrubs in a

park A park is an area of natural, semi-natural or planted space set aside for human enjoyment and recreation or for the protection of wildlife or natural habitats. Urban parks are urban green space, green spaces set aside for recreation inside t ...

or a

garden A garden is a planned space, usually outdoors, set aside for the cultivation, display, and enjoyment of plants and other forms of nature. The single feature identifying even the wildest wild garden is ''control''. The garden can incorporate bot ...

is known as a shrubbery. When clipped as topiary, suitable species or varieties of shrubs develop dense

foliage A leaf (: leaves) is a principal appendage of the stem of a vascular plant, usually borne laterally above ground and specialized for photosynthesis. Leaves are collectively called foliage, as in "autumn foliage", while the leaves, stem, f ...

and many small leafy

branch A branch, also called a ramus in botany, is a stem that grows off from another stem, or when structures like veins in leaves are divided into smaller veins. History and etymology In Old English, there are numerous words for branch, includ ...

es growing close together. Many shrubs respond well to renewal pruning, in which hard cutting back to a " stool", removes everything but vital parts of the plant, resulting in long new stems known as "canes". Other shrubs respond better to selective pruning to dead or unhealthy, or otherwise unattractive parts to reveal their structure and character. Shrubs in common garden practice are generally considered broad-leaved plants, though some smaller

conifers Conifers () are a group of cone-bearing seed plants, a subset of gymnosperms. Scientifically, they make up the division Pinophyta (), also known as Coniferophyta () or Coniferae. The division contains a single extant class, Pinopsida. All e ...

such as mountain pine and common juniper are also shrubby in structure. Species that grow into a shrubby habit may be either

Botanical structure

Scrub brush vegetation in south TX IMG 6069

botany Botany, also called plant science, is the branch of natural science and biology studying plants, especially Plant anatomy, their anatomy, Plant taxonomy, taxonomy, and Plant ecology, ecology. A botanist or plant scientist is a scientist who s ...

and

ecology Ecology () is the natural science of the relationships among living organisms and their Natural environment, environment. Ecology considers organisms at the individual, population, community (ecology), community, ecosystem, and biosphere lev ...

, a shrub is more specifically used to describe the particular physical canopy structure or

plant life-form Plant life-form schemes constitute a way of classifying plants alternatively to the ordinary species-genus-family scientific classification. In colloquial speech, plants may be classified as trees, shrubs, herbs (forbs and graminoids), etc. The sci ...

of woody plants which are less than high and usually multiple stems arising at or near the surface of the ground. For example, a descriptive system widely adopted in

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country comprising mainland Australia, the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania and list of islands of Australia, numerous smaller isl ...

is based on structural characteristics based on life-form, plus the height and amount of foliage cover of the tallest layer or dominant

species A species () is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of the appropriate sexes or mating types can produce fertile offspring, typically by sexual reproduction. It is the basic unit of Taxonomy (biology), ...

.Chris Paul (2024)
The Best Evergreen Shrubs for Front Yards
Shrubs Radar, a website all about shrubs. For shrubs that are high, the following structural forms are categorized: * dense foliage cover (70–100%) — closed-shrubs * mid-dense foliage cover (30–70%) — open-shrubs * sparse foliage cover (10–30%) — tall shrubland * very sparse foliage cover (<10%) — tall open shrubland For shrubs less than high, the following structural forms are categorized: * dense foliage cover (70–100%) — closed- heath or closed low shrubland—(''North America'') * mid-dense foliage cover (30–70%) — open-heath or mid-dense low shrubland—(''North America'') * sparse foliage cover (10–30%) — low shrubland * very sparse foliage cover (<10%) — low open shrubland

List

Those marked with * can also develop into tree form if in ideal conditions. ;A * '' Abelia'' (Abelia) * '' Acer'' (Maple) * * ''

Actinidia ''Actinidia'' is a genus of woody and, with a few exceptions, dioecious plants native to temperate eastern Asia, occurring throughout most of China, Taiwan, Korea, and Japan, and extending north to southern areas of Russian Far East and south ...

'' (Actinidia) * ''

Aloe ''Aloe'' (; also written ''Aloë'') is a genus containing over 650 species of flowering plant, flowering succulent plant, succulent plants.WFO (2022): Aloe L. Published on the Internet;http://www.worldfloraonline.org/taxon/wfo-4000001341. Acc ...

'' (Aloe) * '' Aralia'' (Angelica Tree, Hercules' Club) * * '' Arctostaphylos'' ( Bearberry, Manzanita) * * '' Aronia'' (Chokeberry) * '' Artemisia'' (

Sagebrush Sagebrush is the common name of several woody and herbaceous species of plants in the genus ''Artemisia (plant), Artemisia''. The best-known sagebrush is the shrub ''Artemisia tridentata''. Sagebrush is native to the western half of North Amer ...

) * '' Aucuba'' (Aucuba) ;B * '' Berberis'' (Barberry) * ''

Bougainvillea ''Bougainvillea'' ( , ) is a genus of thorny ornamental vines, bushes, and trees belonging to the family, Nyctaginaceae. They are native to Brazil, Bolivia, Paraguay, Peru, and Argentina. There are between 4 and 22 species in the genus. The i ...

'' (Bougainvillea) * ''

Brugmansia ''Brugmansia'' is a genus of seven species of flowering plants in the nightshade family Solanaceae. They are woody trees or shrubs, with pendulous flowers, and have no spines on their fruit. Their large, fragrant flowers give them their common n ...

'' (Angel's trumpet) * ''

Buddleja ''Buddleja'' (; ''Buddleia''; also historically given as ''Buddlea'') is a genus comprising over 140 species of flowering plants endemicity, endemic to Asia, Africa, and the Americas. The generic name bestowed by Carl Linnaeus, Linnaeus posthu ...

'' (Butterfly bush) * ''

Buxus ''Buxus'' is a genus of about seventy species in the family Buxaceae. Common names include box and boxwood. The boxes are native to western and southern Europe, southwest, southern and eastern Asia, Africa, Madagascar, northernmost So ...

'' (Box) * ;C * '' Calia'' (Mescalbean) * '' Callicarpa'' (Beautyberry) * * '' Callistemon'' (Bottlebrush) * * '' Calluna'' (Heather) * '' Calycanthus'' (Sweetshrub) * ''

Camellia ''Camellia'' (pronounced or ) is a genus of flowering plants in the family Theaceae. They are found in tropical and subtropical areas in East Asia, eastern and South Asia, southern Asia, from the Himalayas east to Japan and Indonesia. There are ...

'' (Camellia, Tea) * * '' Caragana'' ( Pea-tree) * * '' Carpenteria'' (Carpenteria) * ''

Caryopteris ''Caryopteris'' (bluebeard; ) is a genus of flowering plants in the family Lamiaceae (formerly often placed in the family Verbenaceae). They are native to east Asia (China, Korea, Japan, Mongolia).Germplasm Resources Information Network''Caryopt ...

'' ( Blue Spiraea) * ''

Cassiope ''Cassiope'' is a genus of 18 small shrubby species in the family Ericaceae. It is the sole genus in the subfamily Cassiopoideae. They are native to the Arctic and north temperate montane regions. The genus is named after Cassiopeia of Greek ...

'' ( 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 ''Crataegus'' (), commonly called hawthorn, quickthorn, thornapple, Voss, E. G. 1985. ''Michigan Flora: A guide to the identification and occurrence of the native and naturalized seed-plants of the state. Part II: Dicots (Saururaceae–Cornacea ...

'' (Hawthorn) * * '' Crinodendron'' (Crinodendron) * * '' Cytisus'' and allied genera (

Broom A broom (also known as a broomstick) is a cleaning tool, consisting of usually stiff fibers (often made of materials such as plastic, hair, or corn husks) attached to, and roughly parallel to, a cylindrical handle, the broomstick. It is thus a ...

) * ;D * ''

Daboecia ''Daboecia'' , or St. Dabeoc's heath, is a small genus of flowering plants in the family (biology), family Ericaceae, containing two evergreen shrubs, closely related to the genus ''Erica (plant), Erica''. They are native plant, native to cliffs ...

'' ( 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) * '' Dracaena'' (Dragon tree) * * '' Drimys'' ( Winter's Bark) * * '' Dryas'' (Mountain Avens) ;E * '' Edgeworthia'' (Paper Bush) * * ''

Elaeagnus ''Elaeagnus'' () is a genus of flowering plants in the family (biology), family Elaeagnaceae. Some species of the genus are commonly known as silverberry or oleaster, Description ''Elaeagnus'' plants are deciduous or evergreen shrubs or smal ...

'' (

) * * ''

Embothrium ''Embothrium'' is a genus of two to eight species (depending on taxonomic interpretation) in the plant family Proteaceae, native to southern South America, in Chile and adjacent western Argentina; the genus occurs as far south as Tierra del Fue ...

'' ( Chilean Firebush) * * '' Empetrum'' ( Crowberry) * '' Enkianthus'' ( Pagoda Bush) * '' Ephedra'' (Ephedra) * '' Epigaea'' ( Trailing Arbutus) * '' Erica'' ( Heath) * '' Eriobotrya'' (Loquat) * * '' Escallonia'' (Escallonia) * '' Eucryphia'' (Eucryphia) * * ''

Euonymus ''Euonymus'' is a genus of flowering plants in the staff vine family Celastraceae. Common names vary widely among different species and between different English-speaking countries, but include spindle (or spindle tree), burning-bush, strawb ...

'' (Spindle) * * '' Exochorda'' (Pearl Bush) ;F * '' Fabiana'' (Fabiana) * '' Fallugia'' (Apache Plume) * '' Fatsia'' (Fatsia) * ''

Forsythia ''Forsythia'' , is a genus of flowering plants in the olive family Oleaceae. There are about 11 species, mostly native to Eastern Asia, but one native to Southeastern Europe. ''Forsythia'' – also one of the plant's common names – is named ...

'' (Forsythia) * '' Fothergilla'' (Fothergilla) * '' Franklinia'' (Franklinia) * * '' Fremontodendron'' (Flannelbush) * '' Fuchsia'' (Fuchsia) * ;G * '' Garrya'' (Silk-tassel) * * '' Gaultheria'' ( Salal) * ''

Gaylussacia ''Gaylussacia'' is a genus of about fifty species of flowering plants in the family Ericaceae, native to the Americas, where they occur in eastern North America and in South America in the Andes and the mountains of southeastern Brazil (the major ...

'' (

Huckleberry Huckleberry is a name used in North America for several plants in the family Ericaceae, in two closely related genera: ''Vaccinium'' and ''Gaylussacia''. Nomenclature The name 'huckleberry' is a North American variation of the English dialectal ...

) * '' Genista'' (

) * * '' Gordonia'' ( Loblolly-bay) * * '' Grevillea'' (Grevillea) * '' Griselinia'' (Griselinia) * ;H * ''

Hakea ''Hakea'' ( ) is a genus of about 150 species of flowering plants in the family ''Proteaceae'', endemic to Australia. They are shrubs or small trees with leaves that are sometimes flat, otherwise circular in cross section in which case they are s ...

'' (Hakea) * * '' Halesia'' ( Silverbell) * * '' Halimium'' (Rockrose) * ''

Hamamelis Witch-hazels or witch hazels (''Hamamelis'') are a genus of flowering plants in the family Hamamelidaceae, with three species in North America ('' H. ovalis'', '' H. virginiana'', and '' H. vernalis''), and one each in Japan ('' H.&n ...

'' (Witch-hazel) * * '' Hebe'' (Hebe) * ''

Hedera ''Hedera'', commonly called ivy (plural ivies), is a genus of 12–15 species of evergreen climbing or ground-creeping woody plants in the family Araliaceae, native to Western Europe, Central Europe, Southern Europe, Macaronesia, northwestern ...

'' (Ivy) * ''

Helianthemum ''Helianthemum'' (), known as rock rose, sunrose, rushrose, or frostweed,

'' (Rockrose) * ''

Hibiscus ''Hibiscus'' is a genus of flowering plants in the Malva, mallow family, Malvaceae. The genus is quite large, comprising List of Hibiscus species, several hundred species that are Native plant, native to warm temperate, Subtropics, subtropical ...

'' (Hibiscus) * * ''

Hippophae ''Hippophae'', from Ancient Greek ἵππος (''híppos''), meaning "horse", and φάος (''pháos''), meaning "light", is a genus of flowering plants in the family Elaeagnaceae. They are deciduous shrubs. They are exceptionally hardy plants, ...

'' (Sea-buckthorn) * * '' Hoheria'' (Lacebark) * * '' Holodiscus'' ( Creambush) * '' Hudsonia'' (Hudsonia) * ''

Hydrangea ''Hydrangea'' ( or ) is a genus of more than 70 species of Flowering plant, flowering plants native plant, native to Asia and the Americas. Hydrangea is also used as the common name for the genus; some (particularly ''Hydrangea macrophylla, H. m ...

'' (Hydrangea) * ''

Hypericum ''Hypericum'' is a genus of flowering plants in the family (biology), family Hypericaceae (formerly considered a subfamily of Clusiaceae). The genus has a nearly worldwide distribution, missing only from tropical lowlands, deserts and polar re ...

'' (

Rose of Sharon Rose of Sharon (in Hebrew: חֲבַצֶּלֶת הַשָּׁרוֹן) is a Bible, biblical expression, though the identity of the plant referred to is unclear and is disputed among biblical scholars. It has become a common name for several speci ...

) * '' Hyssopus'' (Hyssop) ;I * '' Ilex'' (

Holly ''Ilex'' () or holly is a genus of over 570 species of flowering plants in the family Aquifoliaceae, and the only living genus in that family. ''Ilex'' has the most species of any woody dioecious angiosperm genus. The species are evergreen o ...

) * * '' Illicium'' (

Star Anise ''Illicium verum'' (star anise or badian, Chinese star anise, star anise seed, star aniseed and star of anise) is a medium-sized evergreen tree native to South China and northeast Vietnam. Its star-shaped pericarps harvested just before ripen ...

) * * ''

Indigofera ''Indigofera'' is a large genus of over 750 species of flowering plants belonging to the pea family Fabaceae. They are widely distributed throughout the tropical and subtropical regions of the world. Description ''Indigofera'' is a varied genu ...

'' (Indigo) * '' Itea'' ( Sweetspire) ;J * '' Jamesia'' (Cliffbush) * '' Jasminum'' (Jasmine) * ''

Juniperus Junipers are coniferous trees and shrubs in the genus ''Juniperus'' ( ) of the cypress family Cupressaceae. Depending on the taxonomy, between 50 and 67 species of junipers are widely distributed throughout the Northern Hemisphere as far south ...

'' (Juniper) * ;K * '' Kalmia'' (Mountain-laurel) * '' Kerria'' (Kerria) * '' Kolkwitzia'' ( Beauty-bush) ;L * '' Lagerstroemia'' (Crape-myrtle) * * ''

Lapageria ''Lapageria'' is a genus of flowering plants with only one known species, ''Lapageria rosea'', commonly known as Chilean bellflower or copihue (''copeewueh'', from Mapudungun ''kopiwe''). ''Lapageria rosea'' is endemic to Chile and it is the Flo ...

'' (Copihue) * ''

Lantana ''Lantana'' () is a genus of about 150 species of perennial plant, perennial flowering plants in the verbena family, Verbenaceae. They are native to tropics, tropical regions of the Americas and Africa but exist as an introduced species in num ...

'' (Lantana) * '' 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 Honeysuckles are arching shrubs or twining vines in the genus ''Lonicera'' () of the family Caprifoliaceae. The genus includes 158 species native to northern latitudes in North America, Eurasia, and North Africa. Widely known species include ...

'' (Honeysuckle) * ''

Lupinus ''Lupinus'', commonly known as lupin, lupine, or regionally bluebonnet, is a genus of plants in the legume family Fabaceae. The genus includes over 199 species, with centre of diversity, centres of diversity in North America, North and South A ...

'' (Tree Lupin) * '' Lycium'' (Boxthorn) ;M * ''

Magnolia ''Magnolia'' is a large genus of about 210 to 340The number of species in the genus ''Magnolia'' depends on the taxonomic view that one takes up. Recent molecular and morphological research shows that former genera ''Talauma'', ''Dugandiodendr ...

'' (Magnolia) * '' Mahonia'' (Mahonia) * '' Malpighia'' ( Acerola) * '' Menispermum'' (Moonseed) * '' Menziesia'' (Menziesia) * ''

Mespilus ''Mespilus'', commonly called medlar, is a genus of flowering plants in the family Rosaceae containing the single species '' Mespilus germanica'' of southwest Asia. It is also found in some countries in the Balkans, especially in Albanian, Ma ...

'' ( Medlar) * * '' Microcachrys'' (Microcachrys) * '' Myrica'' (Bayberry) * * '' Myricaria'' (Myricaria) * '' Myrtus'' and allied genera (Myrtle) * ;N * '' Neillia'' (Neillia) * ''

Nerium ''Nerium oleander'' ( ), commonly known as oleander or rosebay, is a shrub or small tree cultivated worldwide in temperate and subtropical areas as an ornamental and landscaping plant. It is the only species currently classified in the genus ...

'' (Oleander) ;O * '' Olearia'' (Daisy bush) * * ''

Osmanthus ''Osmanthus'' is a genus of about 30 species of flowering plants in the family Oleaceae. Most of the species are native to eastern Asia (China, Japan, Korea, Southeast Asia, the Himalayas, etc.) with a few species from the Caucasus, New Cale ...

'' (Osmanthus) ;P * '' Pachysandra'' (Pachysandra) * '' Paeonia'' (Tree-peony) * '' Persoonia'' (Geebungs) * '' Philadelphus'' (Mock orange) * * '' Phlomis'' ( Jerusalem Sage) * '' Photinia'' (Photinia) * * ''

Physocarpus ''Physocarpus'', commonly called ninebark, is a genus of flowering plants in the family (biology), family Rosaceae, native plant, native to North America (most species) and northeastern Asia (one species). Description ''Physocarpus'' are decid ...

'' (Ninebark) * * '' Pieris'' (Pieris) * '' Pistacia'' (

Pistachio The pistachio (, ; ''Pistacia vera'') is a small to medium-sized tree of the Anacardiaceae, cashew family, originating in Iran. The tree produces nut (fruit)#Culinary definition and uses, seeds that are widely consumed as food. In 2022, world ...

, Mastic) * * ''

Pittosporum ''Pittosporum'' ( or The first pronunciation is that expected for traditional English pronunciation of Latin, Anglo-Latin; the second is common in nurseries. ''Sunset Western Garden Book,'' 1995:606–607) is a genus of about 250 species of flow ...

'' (Pittosporum) * * '' Plumbago'' (Leadwort) * '' Polygala'' (Milkwort) * '' Poncirus'' * * ''

Prunus ''Prunus'' is a genus of flowering plant, flowering trees and shrubs from the family (biology), family Rosaceae. The genus includes plums, cherries, peaches, nectarines, apricots and almonds (collectively Drupe, stonefruit). The genus has a cosm ...

'' (Cherry) * * '' Purshia'' ( Antelope Bush) * '' Pyracantha'' (Firethorn) ;Q * ''

Quassia ''Quassia'' ( or ) is a plant genus in the family Simaroubaceae. Its size is disputed; some botanists treat it as consisting of only one species, '' Quassia amara'' from tropical South America, while others treat it in a wide circumscription as ...

'' (Quassia) * * ''

Quercus An oak is a hardwood tree or shrub in the genus ''Quercus'' of the beech family. They have spirally arranged leaves, often with lobed edges, and a nut called an acorn, borne within a cup. The genus is widely distributed in the Northern Hemisp ...

'' (Oak) * * '' Quillaja'' ( Quillay) * '' Quintinia'' ( Tawheowheo) * ;R * '' Rhamnus'' (Buckthorn) * * ''

Rhododendron ''Rhododendron'' (; : ''rhododendra'') is a very large genus of about 1,024 species of woody plants in the Ericaceae, heath family (Ericaceae). They can be either evergreen or deciduous. Most species are native to eastern Asia and the Himalayan ...

'' (Rhododendron,

Azalea Azaleas ( ) are flowering shrubs in the genus ''Rhododendron'', particularly the former sections ''Rhododendron sect. Tsutsusi, Tsutsusi'' (evergreen) and ''Pentanthera'' (deciduous). Azaleas bloom in the spring (April and May in the temperate ...

) * * '' Rhus'' (Sumac) * * ''

Ribes ''Ribes'' () is a genus of about 200 known species of flowering plants, most of them native to the temperate regions of the Northern Hemisphere. The species may be known as various kinds of currants, such as redcurrants, blackcurrants, and White ...

'' (Currant, Gooseberry) * '' Romneya'' (Tree poppy) * '' Rosa'' (Rose) * '' Rosmarinus'' (

Rosemary ''Salvia rosmarinus'' (), commonly known as rosemary, is a shrub with fragrant, evergreen, needle-like leaves and white, pink, purple, or blue flowers. It is a member of the sage family, Lamiaceae. The species is native to the Mediterranean r ...

) * ''

Rubus ''Rubus'' is a large and diverse genus of flowering plants in the rose family, Rosaceae, subfamily Rosoideae, most commonly known as brambles. Fruits of various species are known as raspberries, blackberries, dewberries, and bristleberries. ...

'' ( Bramble,

Raspberry The raspberry is the edible fruit of several plant species in the genus ''Rubus'' of the Rosaceae, rose family, most of which are in the subgenus ''Rubus#Modern classification, Idaeobatus''. The name also applies to these plants themselves. Ras ...

, Salmonberry, Wineberry) * '' Ruta'' ( Rue) ;S * '' Sabia'' * * ''

Salix Willows, also called sallows and osiers, of the genus ''Salix'', comprise around 350 species (plus numerous hybrids) of typically deciduous trees and shrubs, found primarily on moist soils in cold and temperate regions. Most species are known ...

'' (

Willow Willows, also called sallows and osiers, of the genus ''Salix'', comprise around 350 species (plus numerous hybrids) of typically deciduous trees and shrubs, found primarily on moist soils in cold and temperate regions. Most species are known ...

) * * ''

Salvia ''Salvia'' () is the largest genus of plants in the sage family Lamiaceae, with just under 1,000 species of shrubs, Herbaceous plant, herbaceous Perennial plant, perennials, and Annual plant, annuals. Within the Lamiaceae, ''Salvia'' is part o ...

'' (Sage) * ''

Sambucus ''Sambucus'' is a genus of between 20 and 30 species of flowering plants in the family Adoxaceae. The various species are commonly referred to as elder, with the flowers as elderflower, and the fruit as elderberry. Description Elders are mostl ...

'' (Elder) * * '' Santolina'' ( Lavender Cotton) * '' Sapindus'' (Soapberry) * * ''

Senecio ''Senecio'' is a genus of flowering plants in the daisy family (Asteraceae) that includes ragworts and groundsels. Variously circumscribed taxonomically, the genus ''Senecio'' is one of the largest genera of flowering plants. Description Mo ...

'' (Senecio) * '' Simmondsia'' (Jojoba) * '' Skimmia'' (Skimmia) * '' Smilax'' (Smilax) * '' Sophora'' ( Kōwhai) * * ''

Sorbaria ''Sorbaria'' is a genus of around four species of flowering plants belonging to the family (biology), family Rosaceae. Species Accepted species include: *''Sorbaria grandiflora'' (Sweet) Maxim. *''Sorbaria kirilowii'' (Regel) Maxim. *''Sorbaria ...

'' (Sorbaria) * '' Spartium'' (Spanish Broom) * '' Spiraea'' (Spiraea) * * '' Staphylea'' (Bladdernut) * * '' Stephanandra'' (Stephanandra) * '' Styrax'' * * '' Symphoricarpos'' (Snowberry) * ''

Syringa ''Syringa'' is a genus of 12 currently recognized species of flowering plant, flowering woody plants in the olive family or Oleaceae called lilacs. These lilacs are native to woodland and scrub from southeastern Europe to eastern Asia, and wid ...

'' ( Lilac) * ;T * ''

Tamarix The genus ''Tamarix'' (tamarisk, salt cedar, taray) is composed of about 50–60 species of flowering plants in the family Tamaricaceae, native to drier areas of Eurasia and Africa. The generic name originated in Latin and may refer to the Ta ...

'' (Tamarix) * * ''

Taxus ''Taxus'' is a genus of coniferous trees or shrubs known as yews in the family Taxaceae. Yews occur around the globe in temperate zones of the northern hemisphere, northernmost in Norway and southernmost in the South Celebes. Some populations ex ...

'' (Yew) * * '' Telopea'' (Waratah) * * '' Thuja'' cvs. (Arborvitae) * * '' Thymelaea'' * ''

Thymus The thymus (: thymuses or thymi) is a specialized primary lymphoid organ of the immune system. Within the thymus, T cells mature. T cells are critical to the adaptive immune system, where the body adapts to specific foreign invaders. The thymus ...

'' (Thyme) * '' Trochodendron'' * ;U * ''

Ulex ''Ulex'' (commonly known as gorse, furze, or whin) is a genus of flowering plants in the family Fabaceae. The genus comprises about 20 species of thorny evergreen shrubs in the subfamily Faboideae of the pea family Fabaceae. The species are na ...

'' (Gorse) * '' Ulmus pumila celer'' ( Turkestan elm – Wonder Hedge) * '' Ungnadia'' (Mexican Buckeye) ;V * ''

Vaccinium ''Vaccinium'' is a common and widespread genus of shrubs or dwarf shrubs in the heath family (Ericaceae). The fruits of many species are eaten by humans and some are of commercial importance, including the cranberry, blueberry, bilberry (wh ...

'' (

Bilberry Bilberries () are Eurasian low-growing shrubs in the genus ''Vaccinium'' in the flowering plant family Ericaceae that bear edible, dark blue berries. They resemble but are distinct from North American blueberries. The species most often referre ...

Blueberry Blueberries are a widely distributed and widespread group of perennial flowering plants with blue or purple berries. They are classified in the section ''Cyanococcus'' with the genus ''Vaccinium''. Commercial blueberries—both wild (lowbush) ...

Cranberry Cranberries are a group of evergreen dwarf shrubs or trailing vines in the subgenus ''Oxycoccus'' of the genus ''Vaccinium''. Cranberries are low, creeping shrubs or vines up to long and in height; they have slender stems that are not th ...

) * '' Verbesina centroboyacana'' * ''

Verbena ''Verbena'' (), also known as vervain or verveine, is a genus in the family Verbenaceae. It contains about 150 species of annual and perennial herbaceous or semi-woody flowering plants. The majority of the species are native to the Americas ...

'' (Vervain) * '' Viburnum'' (Viburnum) * * '' Vinca'' (Periwinkle) * '' Viscum'' (

Mistletoe Mistletoe is the common name for obligate parasite, obligate parasitic plant, hemiparasitic plants in the Order (biology), order Santalales. They are attached to their host tree or shrub by a structure called the haustorium, through which they ...

) ;W * '' Weigela'' (Weigela) ;X * '' Xanthoceras'' * '' Xanthorhiza'' (Yellowroot) * '' Xylosma'' ;Y * ''

Yucca ''Yucca'' ( , YUCK-uh) is both the scientific name and common name for a genus native to North America from Panama to southern Canada. It contains 50 accepted species. In addition to yucca, they are also known as Adam's needle or Spanish-bayon ...

'' (Yucca, Joshua tree) * ;Z * ''

Zanthoxylum ''Zanthoxylum'' is a genus of about 250 species of deciduous and evergreen trees, shrubs and climbers in the Family (biology), family Rutaceae that are native to warm temperate and Subtropics, subtropical areas worldwide. It is the type gen ...

'' * * '' Zauschneria'' * '' Zenobia'' * '' Ziziphus'' *

References

{{Authority control Plants Plant morphology Lists of plants Plant life-forms Plants by habit