What are shrubs?
Shrubs are woody-stemmed plants, usually freely branching from the base. Whereas a tree usually has a single stem, a shrub has several or many stems arising from or near ground level. Most shrubs reach no more than 15-20ft (5-6m) in height, the majority of species and cultivars attaining considerably smaller stature. However, a degree of overlap occurs between shrubs and other plant groups. Larger shrubs that grow on a single stem, such as some viburnums, can be considered trees, although this depends on their size at maturity. Subshrubs (shrubs that are woody only at the base), such as Perovskia, and shrubs that die back annually as a result of winter cold, such as Fuchsia, are often cultivated as herbaceous perennials. Essential framework In every size and style of garden, shrubs are invaluable for their structural forms and their woody stems, which provide the garden with a long-term framework. They offer a variety of shapes and sizes, from prostrate, mat-, or clump-forming subshrub
