Herbs vs. Trees

Main Difference

The main difference between Herbs, and Trees is that Herbs are small plants that have unbranched, soft, and non-woody stems while Trees are big plants that have woody stems and the branches grow about a meter above the ground.

Difference Between Herbs and Trees

Comparison Chart

Herbs vs. Trees

Herbs are annual non-woody plants that produce seeds, however, trees are perennial plants that have woody stems with a single trunk that grows tall above the ground. Herbs consist of thin stems that are soft, non-woody, tender, and can be easily bent, whereas trees have thick, hard, woody stems that are brown.

Herbs don’t have branched stems. Trees, on the other hand, have branches that grow on a single stem called a trunk, and it grows about a meter long before branching. Herbs have short height; they usually grow below one meter in height whereas, shrubs have taller height as compared to herbs. Among all of these plants, trees have the tallest height.

Uses of herbs mainly include flavors in food and use in medicines. Trees are important for the maintenance of the amount of carbon dioxide in the air, the prevention of soil erosion, and, as a source of wood.

The lifetime of herbs is short, and the duration of their life can be one to two seasons, and the trees have the longest life among all of the plants.

Examples of herbs include cabbage, wheat, paddy, radish, tomato, mustard, turnip, ginger, sunflower, carrot, and examples of trees are Neem, palm, oak, conifers, banyan (peepal), Jamun, coconut, palm, etc.

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 Trees?

Trees are perennial plants that have woody stems with a single trunk that grows tall above the ground. Trees have lateral branches that grow on a single stem called a trunk, and the trunk grows about a meter long before branching.

A tree can have a maximum height of 13 feet and a diameter of 3 inches. The tissues of trees are woody and are tall plants. Therefore, they accumulate sunlight by their leaves for the process of photosynthesis in which food is processed for trees.

The main function of the trunk of the tree provides support to bear the weight of the tree canopy. The only living area of trees is the outer layers of the trunk which is the cambium, which is responsible for the production of new bark and wood.

Phloem is the outer tissue layer present outside cambium, and the minerals, and sugars that are processed in the photosynthesis are transported from the upper canopy down to the roots, whereas the dead tissues of phloem become the part of the bark of a tree.

The layer of tissue which is present inside the cambium is the xylem, and its function includes the transportation of water from roots up to the crown of the tree. The trees are of two kinds; angiosperms that are in the majority, and gymnosperms.

Conclusion

Herbs, and trees all are the type of plants that have a growth on earth. However, herbs are non-woody, less branched, shortest plants. Trees are big plants that have woody stems, and the branches grow above the ground level.