<P> 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 . </P> <P> In botany and ecology, a shrub is more specifically used to describe the particular physical structural or plant life - form of woody plants which are less than 8 metres (26 ft) high and usually have many stems arising at or near the base . </P> <P> For example, a descriptive system widely adopted in Australia is based on structural characteristics based on life - form, plus the height and amount of foliage cover of the tallest layer or dominant species . </P> <P> For shrubs 2--8 metres (6.6--26.2 ft) high the following structural forms are categorized: </P>

Bush or woody plant which is smaller than a tree