Shrubs or shrubs are small and medium-sized woody plants. It differs from trees in that it has many stems and a short height, usually less than 6 m (20 ft) high. Depending on their growing conditions, many species of plants may grow into shrubs or trees. Dwarf shrubs, such as lavender, Catharanthus and most of the smaller rose garden varieties, are usually less than 2 m (6.6 ft) long and are often called subshrubs.

The area of Bush in a park or garden is called Bush. When pruned into a pruned shrub, the appropriate tree species or varieties will form dense leaves, and many small leafy branches will grow closely together. Many shrubs respond well to renewal pruning, in which hard pruning into "stools" will lead to new stems, called "vines". Other shrubs respond better to selective pruning to show their structure and characteristics.

Although some smaller conifers (e.g. Pinus Yamagata and juniper) are also very short in structure, the shrubs commonly used in gardens are generally considered to be broad-leaved plants. Species that develop shrub habits may be deciduous or evergreen.