Questions tagged [shrubs]

Another name for a bush - shorter than a tree and with multiple stems. Use this tag with questions about caring, propagating and indentifying shrubs.

Shrubs are bushes. Unlike s, shrubs have multiple and are shorter - usually under 5-6 m tall. A large number of plants can be grown as shrubs or trees, depending on the growing conditions.

Horticulturally, shrubs are usually broad-leaved plants, although smaller conifers (e.g. Common Juniper) can be grown with a shrub shape and structure.

Botany and ecology have stricter definitions, and ecology uses these along with cover to define different kinds of landscape (e.g. "open-scrub", "low shrubland");

Use this tag for general questions about shrubs, shrubberies, and choosing shrubs for a particular location. Species/variety specific questions should use the specific plant tags instead.

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How can I naturally encourage birds into my garden?

We love having our garden filled with birds, thus we have put up a variety of bird feeders. We also make lots of water available for the birds. The result is a 2½ year old that can identify about 8 birds in the backyard. We recently had a guest that…
Joseph Barisonzi
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Is it possible to indefinitely limit the growth of trees, hedges, and shrubs?

Now that I've lived in my very nicely landscaped first home for over 10 years, I have several "overgrown" trees, hedges, and shrubs (mostly, but not all evergreens) in my landscaping, and at this point I'm pretty sure it's impossible to do anything…
glenviewjeff
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What is this shrub and has it come back from the dead?

We had this deciduous shrub in our lawn for many years. Its height was about 1.5m - 2m. This photo is from a couple of years ago. Strange thing is that this spring it seemed to have died. We reckoned to return that area to lawn. I cut the dead…
Tea Drinker
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Why didn't my forsythia cuttings root?

In May, I took some greenwood forsythia cuttings, dipped them in a hormone rooting powder and planted them in rooting mix. The mix was kept moist all year. I had thought they had rooted because they began to grow rapidly and the new shoots hardened…
J. Musser
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Need help identificating this bee-attracting shrub

A friend of mine came back from a nearby mountain with this flower from a wild shrub that was very common in the area where he walked. The area where these are found is the west-Alps, around -1300- 1500 meters above sea-level. *After a while, I…
J. Chomel
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What kind of landscaping plants do livestock avoid eating and need minimal attention?

I'd like to plant plants/trees/shrubs along the sidewalk on the roads to improve the landscaping and general appearance. However, I live in Gurgaon, India and it is common to see livestock (cows, goats, etc.) on the roads. In order to prevent my…
Aquarius_Girl
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Hexagonal bush?

I have seen the pictured bush today when hiking around Las Palmas de Gran Canaria. From a distance, hexagonal patterns are visible: Adjacent branches grow in an almost perfect 45° angle relative to each other. What plant is this, or what is a…
feklee
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Options for an edible privacy "fence"?

I live on a corner lot, with neighbors' fencing on two sides of my back yard, the house on a third, and an open street on the fourth. Rather than installing a fence myself, to provide privacy in the back yard, I had the idea of planting some shrubs…
Flimzy
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What are these tall, tree-like shrubs and how often should I water them?

My wife and I just bought a property and I don't know anything about plants or trees. Can someone tell me what the large trees/bushes/plants are and also how often do I need to water them?
schmudu
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How can I remove a bush whose roots are breaking concrete?

In our backyard there is a bush growing up the side of a wall, using a drain pipe to crawl up. Its trunk has grown to be relatively thick (~ 10 cm) and it is now causing the concrete to split on the floor. I'd like to remove it altogether. What's…
Joel H
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Does anyone know the name of this young plant shrub?

The plant has opposite toothed single leaves and opposite stems growing in Northern Virginia. The color of new growth stems is a deep burgundy with white speckles. I'm guessing it is a shrub in the honeysuckle family. It is a volunteer whose seed…
E. Garrity
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Identify shrub with red berries in UK

Could you tell me what is the name of this plant? Found in the park in London at the end of May. Red berries on shrub with saw-toothed leaves.
Shige
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What is this shrub?

Live in zone 9 in USA. This shrub is about 6 feet tall and we have to trim it every year or else it'll grow taller and block windows. Planted 5+ years ago. White flowers it looks like too. Would like to plant this in backyard too for privacy.…
Danger14
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Can I cover an evergreen shrub in winter?

I have a small evergreen shrub that gets frost burn in winter. I had been told to use tar paper on it over winter, but I was concerned that since it is a broad-leaved evergreen it might need light in winter. Is there a good way to cover it that…
J. Musser
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What are some small deciduous shrubs that can grow in USDA zone 4?

A particular site in our garden (USDA zone 4) has dry, sandy soil over heavy clay and gets full sun. There is excellent drainage due to the retaining wall on one side that has a drainage pipe situated below two feet below grade. What are some good,…
kevinskio
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