The word bush means any woody plant that grows to about head height. But the word shrub also means a plant that has many woody stems, so a shrub is different from a tree, which makes a single stem which we call a trunk.
Shrubs can grow up to 20m high.
An area of cultivated shrubs in a park or garden is known as a shrubbery.
Shrubs will stand up to being cut. Shaping shrubs is called topiary.
Most shrubs planted in gardens are broad-leaved. Some, like rhododendron, are evergreen. Others, like hydrangeas, are deciduous.
