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Complete Trees, Shrubs & Hedges

Dirr's Hardy Trees and Shrubs: An Illustrated Encyclopedia

All New Square Foot Gardening: Grow More in Less Space!

Small Garden

New Complete Home Landscaping

Spruce up your yard.

Trees and shrubs are the backbone of good landscape design: the right tree and shrub choices can make everything on your property look better, including your house, lawn, and other plantings. To develop that green thumb, learn:

Where to buy trees and shrubs, and what tools you need to maintain them
Which trees and shrubs are compatible with your region, yard, and soil type
How to plant, transplant, water, fertilize, and prune your new plants

Tree and Shrub Basics

Trees are usually defined as perennial woody plants that have one main trunk and many smaller branches that grow out from the trunk at some height above the ground. Shrubs, on the other hand, are usually described as low, woody plants with several stems instead of a single trunk. Though trees are generally taller, some healthy shrubs can tower over dwarf trees. For this reason, the presence of a single trunk or multiple stems is the best way to tell trees from shrubs.

Tree and Shrub Anatomy

Bark: Bark is the outer layer of a tree trunk and branches that protects the plant from damage and disease. The inner bark is located just underneath the bark and carries the food made by the leaves to the other parts of the plant.
Bole: The bole is the part of a tree trunk between the ground and where the branches grow. It is often useful for lumber.
Branches: Branches support the leaves and form the crown of the plant.
Crown: The crown is the upper part of a tree or shrub that includes the branches and the foliage.
Heartwood: Heartwood is located at the center of the tree and is the oldest and densest part of the trunk.
Leaves: Leaves on both trees and shrubs make food for the plant using photosynthesis.
Limbs: Limbs are live, sound tree branches that have a diameter of at least 4" next to the trunk.
Root hairs: These are hairs located on the ends of tree and shrub roots that absorb water and nutrients from the soil.
Sapwood: Sapwood is located below both layers of bark and carries the water and nutrients from the roots to the leaves.
Shallow roots: These grow horizontally away from the tree trunk, or shrub stems, just below the surface of the ground.
Stem: This is the woody, upright part of a shrub that supports the leaves and gives the plant its shape.
Taproot: This is a single, central tree root that grows straight down into the soil.
Trunk: The trunk is the central stem of a tree that is covered with bark and extends from the roots to the uppermost branches of the crown.
Twigs: Twigs are the small shoots that are the current season’s branch or stem growth.

Deciduous vs. Evergreen Trees and Shrubs

Both trees and shrubs may be deciduous or evergreen.

Deciduous plants: These shed their leaves for part of the year and regrow them for part of the year. Examples include maples, elms, birches, and cherries.
Evergreen plants: These keep their leaves or needles throughout the entire year. Examples include pines, firs, junipers, and boxwoods.

All trees and shrubs are perennials, meaning that they come back year after year rather than die off after the course of only one or two growing seasons.

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