What are the Shrubs?
Any kind of woody and consistently thick plant that is smaller than a tree in size and branches out into various trucks or stems around the base is called a shrub. Often also called bushes, shrubs are fairly easy to recognise because of their short and comparatively bushy characteristics. They often lack a single trunk.
(Image will be uploaded soon)
While a large part of the stem is not visible owing to their dense feature, they are widely used in places for decoration. Some shrubs are small and dense, while others are slightly tall and thin. Some of them have green leaves while others are characterised by flowers.
Most shrubs grow up to about 3 metres in height, regardless of whether they are ornamental or flowering. An important feature of landscape beautification, shrubs are used for temporary decoration purposes as well on fences, screens, background plantings, hedges or formal gatherings. However, since bushes grow at a higher rate than trees usually do, they need to be tended regularly to make sure that they are in a specific shape or size so that they can contribute to colour, fragrance, or utility. A nearly arranged area of shrubs or bushes in a garden, park or amidst a natural landscape is known as shrubbery.
Types of Shrubs
The various kinds of shrubs that can be commonly found are Australian fuchsia, red climbing rose, bush rose, sunrose, camellia, azalea, white and purple butterfly bush, barberry, rockrose and more. Shrubs can be further sub-grouped based on their foliage, colour and season.
(Image will be Uploaded soon)
Broadleaf Evergreen Shrubs
These shrubs include the likes of which remain green all through the year, regardless of what season it is and what time they’ve been planted. However, a colour variance can be broadly observed when it comes to appearance. Some common examples of broadleaf evergreen shrubs are rhododendrons, myrtles, camellia, boxwood, holly, mountain laurel, gardenia and more.
Deciduous Shrubs
These shrubs shed their leaves in certain seasons or due to certain weather conditions. Deciduous shrubs often display a classic variance of bright colours especially during the autumn, before they shed their leaves for the winter. The colour change is often seen only within their foliage.
When spring comes, these deciduous shrubs grow new leaves that retain their original colour until autumn comes again and the cycle is repeated. Common examples of these shrubs include honeysuckle, Russian sage, pussywillow, abbotswood, hydrangea, lilac and more.
Needled Evergreen Shrubs
These shrubs owe their name to the needle-like structure of their leaves. Regardless of whether the leaves are narrow or broad, their ends are tapered to resemble a needle. These shrubs do not have a prominent truck since most of their stems or branches start right at the base. Common examples of needled evergreen plants include juniper, mugo pine, yew and more.
Characteristics of a Shrub
Shrubs are known for the features that they possess, and some of their noteworthy features are mentioned below.
Lack of a Prominent Truck- Most shrubs do not have a trunk but have a lot of stems instead. They are small in height and since they mostly branch near the ground, most of their branches or stems originate right at the base.
Smaller than Plants- Shrubs mostly grow up to three metres in height which makes them a lot smaller than trees in comparison. They also do not have a single trunk that is able to support the pressure and weight of the various branches or stems.
Broad Leaves- Shrubs usually have broad leaves and are also known as broad-leaved plants.
Hardy Plants- Most shrubs are able to grow in various types of soil, whether fertile or not, which is why they are called hardy plants.
Grows better in Sunny Environments- Shrubs grow better in a sunny environment as compared to conditions of drought. This is also because they are mostly seasonal.
(Image will be Uploaded soon)
Common examples of shrubs include rhododendrons, myrtles, camellia, boxwood, holly, mountain laurel, gardenia, juniper, mugo pine, yew and more.
Functions of Shrubs
Listed below are the most important roles shrubs play in our environment.
They are used in the beautification of the landscape around us.
They can be grown in gardens, used to beautify backgrounds or even plant in garden beds.
Shrubs also help in environment conservation by preventing soil erosion, water wastage and help in restoring the green cover of the planet.
Shrubs are a major source of fuelwood.
They provide shelter to smaller organisms in the ecosystem.
Parts of shrubs can be used for various purposes like obtaining fruits, using leaves, or making use of roots or tuber roots for other purposes.
Uses of Shrubs
For Landscaping
Shrubs are used for landscaping purposes. Often a form of permanent planting, they contribute to gardening, background screens, fences, hedges, and more.
Ornamental Value
Shrubs have great ornamental value. They come in a variety of sizes, structures and colours. Flowering shrubs also contribute to the fragrance. They are evergreen, always look beautiful, and keep both noise and dust away.
Provide Foliage
Some shrubs have dense foliage even during the winter season, for example, rhododendron. Certain deciduous bushes, on the other hand, have various stems branching out, often having fruits or flowers. Common examples are, lilac, barberry, cotoneaster, forsythia and more.
Survival in Extreme Climatic Conditions
Certain shrubs have the capacity to survive in cold, freezing climates or slightly barren lands. In cases like these, they provide shelter to animals or bring about opportunities for flourishing natural life. They also provide sources of fuel when their branches or stems are dry. They also help in local construction under harsh climatic conditions.
Environment Conservation
Shrubs help in conservation by preventing soil erosion, especially in areas prone to rainfall.
FAQs on Shrubs
1. What are shrubs? Give an example of a shrub used in the health Industry.
Small to medium-sized perennial woody plants are called shrubs and are also famously known as the Bush. Shrubs have relatively lower heights and have several stems arising from the base. They maintain a consistent thickness throughout all the stems of the plant. As they have several stems or a few trunks arising right from their base, they do not have any single trunk for the support of the structure of the plant. Their heights are also restrained to just a few metres (2-3 metres) or around 10 feet. Shrubs can be any of both Flowering or Ornamental and are widely used for decorative purposes around the world.
An example of shrubs that are being used in the medical or health industry is the “Aloe vera” and it is very famous in the health and even in the cosmetic industry. You can learn more about Shrubs and their uses in Vedantu. You will get different study materials on the Vedantu website and app which will help you to understand this topic better.
2. What are the characteristics and features of Shrubs?
Some of the main characteristics and features of the shrub plants or trees are discussed below -
Lack of trunk:- This might be the most distinctive feature of the structure of the shrub plants. The shrubs lack the main trunk structure and are branched off at a very low distance to the ground, so it has many stems and trunks that support the structure of the plant rather than a single main trunk.
Smaller than most of the trees:- Shrubs typically grow a few metres in length around 3 to 6 metres (10 - 20 ft) tall. They are smaller than trees, as they lack a strong thick trunk to support the structure of plants taller than a certain height. And the several stems they have, generally bow down to their weight after they crossed a certain height limit.
Generally, shrubs have broad leaves or even pointed ones.
3. Explain the Deciduous Shrubs and Broadleaf Evergreen Shrubs.
There are many types of shrubs in existence in the environment, two of them are Deciduous Shrubs and Broadleaf Evergreen Shrubs.
Deciduous shrubs:- Deciduous shrubs are those plants or shrubs that shed their leaves according to the weather or seasonal changes. They often change their colours according to the weather and seasonal conditions. This also makes them very recognisable too as they show various sets of colour, especially in autumn. One such shrub, which is popular for its colour, is the Russian Sage. Some other examples of the deciduous shrubs would be - Abbotswood, Blue Mist Spirea, Hancock Coralberry, Honeysuckle, Hydrangea, Kelsey Dogwood, Lilac, Pussywillow and Rose-Of-Sharon.
Broadleaf Evergreen Shrubs:- Broadleaf Evergreen Shrubs are shrubs that maintain their green colour for the whole year, irrespective of the changes in the season. Some major examples of these shrubs are - Azalea, boxwood, Camellia, Gardenia, Holly, Mountain Laurel, Myrtle and Rhododendron.
4. What are some of the major functions and uses of Shrubs?
Some of the key features and uses of the shrubs are -
Shrubs are an important part of the permanent landscape and thus are also used for decorative purposes in many places all around the world. They are used as a backdrop in gardens, parks, and plantings
Shrubs play an important role in the preservation of fertile soil from soil erosion.
Shrubs are an important source of fuelwood and lumber. Not only that, but they also supply much important food and medicinal items like fruits.
In nature, they provide shelter to many small organisms such as squirrels.
5. What are the important differences between herbs and shrubs?
The major difference between the herbs and shrubs are stated down below -
Herbs are even smaller plants relative to the shrubs, as the shrubs grow in metres while the herbs usually do not cross a metre of height.
The herbs also have a single main support trunk, while the shrubs get divided into stems very close to the ground.
Herbs usually have soft and non-woody stems but in the case of shrubs, they are equipped with thick and hard stems.
Herbs are sometimes called rootstock, while shrubs are referred to as woody plants.
Example of herbs - Onion and grass. Example of shrubs - peach and rose.
