Dwarf Bushes

Dwarf Bushes

Look familiar? Dwarf bushes are also called groundcover bushes, are low-growing foliage shrubs. They act as ground cover, especially ideal for shady areas, being very slow to spread, resist heat and humidity, and effectively use light. Dwarf bushes make excellent companion plants for tomatoes and other vegetables. They also help keep birds and bugs away from vegetables and flowers, something that vegetables and flowers can’t help but appreciate!As far as horticulture (the art and practice of garden cultivation) is concerned, there is no exact definition of when a plant is a shrub or a bush. A good general description of a shrub is a woody plant with several perennial stems that may be erect or may lay close to the ground. It will usually have a height less than 13 feet and stems no more than about three inches in diameter.

Shrub

In classic horticulture, a bush usually refers more to the shape something makes than the type of plant it is. For example, when describing a plant, you might say 'forms a bush' (as opposed to being tree-like or growing straight up). In classic horticulture, the shrub can specifically mean a plant that maintains its structure above the ground all year round. It cannot be split or divided because there is only one set of roots at the base of the entire plant. Shrubs can be evergreens, but they don't have to be and some shrubs may be considered small trees, but can still be defined as shrubs.Another popular way to distinguish between bushes and shrubs is through their foliage. Some consider a bush to have stems and leaves that are almost touching the ground.

It can be found in the wild and may grow and intertwine with other bushes and wild plants or grasses. A shrub can be taller than a bush, but not as tall as a tree and have thicker foliage than a bush. A shrub can be groomed, pruned, and shaped while a bush is usually left to grow wild.Shrubland is natural landscape dominated by various shrubs; there are many distinct types around the world, including fynbos, maquis, shrub-steppe, shrub swamp and moorland. 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 cultivars of shrubs, bred for flowering, for example rhododendrons, and sometimes leaf colour or shape.Shrubs in common garden practice are generally considered broad-leaved plants, though some smaller conifers such as mountain pine and common juniper are also shrubby in structure. Species that grow into a shrubby habit may be either deciduous or evergreen. (Source:en.wikipedia.org)