What Is the Difference Between Shrubs and Bushes?

Have you ever wondered what the difference is between shrubs and bushes? In common usage, the two terms are often used interchangeably. Horticulturally, there is no exact definition of when a plant is a shrub or a bush. 

Generally speaking, a bush is a type of shrub, but not all shrubs are bushes. Read on to learn about a few features that are used to distinguish a bush from a shrub, including size, growth habit, foliage, and landscape use.

Shrubs vs. Bushes in Horticulture

In classic horticulture, a bush usually refers more to the shape of the plant rather than the type. For example, when describing a plant, you might say it "forms a bush" (as opposed to being tree-like or growing straight up). In classic horticulture, the shrub describes 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.

Shrub vs. Bush Foliage

Another popular way to distinguish between bushes and shrubs is through their growth habit and foliage. There are both evergreen shrubs and bushes and deciduous ones. 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 is viewed as taller than a bush but not as tall as a tree (although there are tall shrubs that are also referred to as trees) and has thicker foliage than a bush. A shrub is commonly groomed, pruned, and shaped, while a bush is often left to grow wild.

Why Location Matters

Another way to distinguish between a shrub and a bush is to consider the setting of the plant in question. For instance, some gardeners think of specimens that are cultivated in a garden to be considered shrubs. Bushes, on the other hand, are plants out in the wild that fit the definition of a shrub.

While this is a good suggestion, it may not always be a hard and fast rule. Consider rose bushes and blueberry bushes, which are almost exclusively found in cultivated gardens, however, they are not known as rose shrubs and blueberry shrubs but as rose bushes and blueberry bushes.

Other sources have different ideas about the difference between shrubs and bushes. Merriam-Webster says that a bush can be a shrub or also a whole cluster (thicket) of shrubs or shrub-like trees. Others may say that a shrub is smaller and out in the wild, or similar variations.

Shrub, Bush, or Hedge?

Shrubs and bushes are often planted close together to form a hedge. There are many different ways hedges are used in landscaping: as a privacy fence, along a property line or a walkway, or to visually divide an outdoor space. Depending on the height of the plants, hedges are tall or short, evergreen or deciduous, and flowering or non-flowering. Hedges are often trimmed to contain their growth.

One of the most popular evergreen shrubs is the boxwood. These plants are easily shaped, pruned, or trained and clipped into shrub topiaries. Disney is using boxwoods to make the iconic topiaries featured at its theme parks around the world.