Editing Shrub (section)

==Definition==
Shrubs are perennial woody plants, and therefore have persistent woody [[Plant stem|stems]] above ground (compare with succulent stems of [[herbaceous plant]]s).<ref name="Allaby2019" /> Usually, shrubs are distinguished from trees by their height and multiple stems. Some shrubs are [[deciduous]] (e.g. [[Rhaphiolepis|hawthorn]]) and others [[evergreen]] (e.g. [[holly]]).<ref name="Allaby2019" /> [[ancient Greece|Ancient Greek]] philosopher [[Theophrastus]] divided the plant world into trees, shrubs and herbs.<ref name="Bremness1994">{{cite book |last1=Bremness |first1=Lesley |title=The complete book of herbs |publisher=Viking Studio Books |isbn=9780140238020 |page=8 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=VqfnrH-W2kwC|year=1994 }}</ref> Small, low shrubs, generally less than {{Convert|2|m|ft|abbr=on}} tall, such as [[lavender]], [[Vinca|periwinkle]] and most small garden varieties of [[rose]], are often termed as [[subshrub]]s.<ref name="Fischer1990">{{cite book
 | first    = Peggy
 | last    = Fischer
 | title     = Essential shrubs: the 100 best for design and cultivation
 | url       = https://books.google.com/books?id=QuLtawHEsJMC
 | year      = 1990
 | publisher = Friedman/Fairfax Publishers
 | isbn      = 978-1-56799-319-6
 | pages     = 9–
 | quote     = ... Examples of subshrubs include candytuft, lavender, and rosemary. These broad definitions are ...
}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2017-05-15 |title=What is a Subshrub? |url=https://worldoffloweringplants.com/subshrub/ |access-date=2022-04-29 |website=World of Flowering Plants |language=en-US}}</ref>

Most definitions characterize shrubs as possessing multiple stems with no main trunk below.<ref name="Allaby2019" />  This is because the stems have branched below ground level. There are exceptions to this, with some shrubs having main trunks, but these tend to be very short and divide into multiple stems close to ground level without a reasonable length beforehand. Many trees can grow in multiple stemmed forms also while being tall enough to be trees, such as [[oak]] or [[ash (tree)|ash]].<ref name="Allaby2019" />