What Are Woody Plants?
A woody plant is one that uses wood as part of its structural support. These plants are mostly perennials, which mean that they come back year after year without replanting. Not all of the support stems on a woody plant are made of wood, often only the main stems and large roots are wood, while the others are made of softer tissue. Six different groups encompass woody plants. They include deciduous trees, deciduous shrubs, evergreen trees, evergreen shrubs, woody vines, and woody ground cover. Most people are familiar with deciduous and evergreen trees and shrubs. Woody vines exist in both flowering and non-flowering varieties, and may die in areas that experience cold winters. Woody ground covers, such as creeping juniper, spread through underground rhizomes, or by a process called layering, where the branches develop roots wherever they touch the ground.
