Herbs vs. Shrubs

Main Difference

The main difference between Herbs, and Shrubs, is that Herbs are small plants that have unbranched, soft and non-woody stems whereas, Shrubs are medium-sized plants that have woody, multiple directly branched stems.

Difference Between Herbs and Shrubs

Comparison Chart

Herbs vs. Shrubs

Herbs are annual non-woody plants that produce seeds, whereas shrubs have some woody main stems which grow near the ground level. Herbs consist of thin stems that are soft, non-woody, tender, and can be easily bent, while shrubs have hard and woody stems, but they are not very thick.

Herbs don’t have branched stems, while shrubs have branched stems that are near or at the base of the ground level. Herbs have short height; they usually grow below one meter in height whereas, shrubs have taller height as compared to herbs.

Uses of herbs mainly include flavors in food and use in medicines, while uses of shrubs include gardening and medicinal purpose. The lifetime of herbs is short, and the duration of their life can be one to two seasons, whereas the lifetime of shrubs is of many years.

Examples of herbs include cabbage, wheat, paddy, radish, tomato, mustard, turnip, ginger, sunflower, carrot, while the example of the shrub is croton, jasmine (chameli), tulsi, lemon, rose, Heena (mehndi), china rose, pomegranate, bougainvillea.

What are Herbs?

Herbs are annual non-woody plants that produce seeds. Herbs contain an unbranched stem. Herbs consist of thin stems that are soft, non-woody, and tender. Herbs have unbranched stems other than other plants.

Biennials, perennials, and annual herbs are the three types of herbs. The lifecycle of biennial herbs completes in almost two years. The lifespan of perennial herbs live is more than two years, and the lifecycle of annual herbs completes in between one year.

Herbs can grow in beds, borders, and containers; therefore, their growth depends on some factors; PH, organic matter of soil, PH, soil moisture, and potassium content. They are known for their characteristic of refreshing and pleasant aroma and smell and can also be used for religious and spiritual reasons.

Herbs are plants that have savory or aromatic characteristics, used for garnishing, flavoring, medicinal, and fragrances purposes other than other plants and vegetables that are taken for macronutrients.

Herbs and spices are differentiated by their culinary use. Their lifetime ends at the end of their season of growing. Culinary and medicinal herbs differ when using the term ‘herb.’ In its usage for spiritual and medicinal purposes.

All the part of the plant includes herbs such as roots, leaves, flowers, root bark, seeds, inner bark, pericarp, and resin. A small number of culinary herbs can add flavor to food such as lavender or thyme, parsley, and basil.

Flowers, dried leaves, fresh herbs, and seeds of herbs are used to make herbal teas by immersing them in boiling water without adding milk known as mint tea. Herbs are being used back in history, such as in traditional Chinese herbal medicine from the 1^st century CE and in India for the Ayurveda medicinal system.

Western civilizations also use herbs for medicinal purposes, originating from Hippocratic medicine of the elemental healing system. Pharmaceuticals of the modern age still extract drugs from herbs, which are then purified to meet the requirements.

What are Shrubs?

Shrubs are medium-sized plants that have woody, multiple directly branched perennial stems that are either upright or close to the ground level. The average height of shrubs is 10 to 12 feet, and the width of their stems is below 3 inches in diameter.

Shrubs have hard and woody stems, but they are not very thick. The small branches of herbs grow near to each other and are bushy with leaves on them. Therefore, shrubs can remain evergreen or shortlived, and usually, their life is for many years. The place (garden or park) where the shrubs are grown refers to shrubbery.

These are important for our landscapes as perennials and annuals deliver variety and colors to our landscape. Shrubs are referred to as plants with wide leaves in common garden practice, even though some mountain pine the small conifers, and common juniper also have a shrubby appearance; Therefore, the species are either shortlived or constant that has a shrubby growth habit.

Herbs are popular for clipping topiary, which is a type of horticulture practice in which the foliage of shrubs is clipped together to form defined shapes as an art. For this, shrubs of appropriate varieties and species expand dense and thick leafage by growing small leafy branches.

Pruning of many shrubs gives well results by their renewal; the process includes cutting, and then the “stooling” technique gives outcomes as new, improved stems referred to as “canes” while some shrubs give better results in their nature and structure only through selective pruning.

Example of the shrub is croton, jasmine (chameli), tulsi, lemon, rose, Heena (mehndi), china rose, pomegranate, bougainvillea, and examples of trees are Neem, palm, oak, conifers, banyan (peepal), Jamun, coconut, palm, etc.

Conclusion

Herbs and shrubs all are the types of plants that have a growth on earth. However, herbs are non-woody, less branched, shortest plants while shrubs are medium-sized, woody, and have multiple branched plants.