subshrub
7.9
A low plant with a hard woody base and soft upper stems that lives for many years
- noun
- /ˈsʌbˌʃrʌb/
- Specialized
:
subarbusto
- The subshrub grows well in dry conditions, making it ideal for xeriscaping.
Examples
-
Leaves from the tallest phreatophytic trees to low subshrubs and the tiniest winter annuals share, with rare exception, a common pattern.
Academic text (1998) -
This subshrub thrives in low, rocky areas and produces vibrant flowers in spring.
-
In my garden, the subshrub adds color with its delicate yellow blossoms.
Synonyms
9.9
A plant that lives for many years with a woody base and low soft stems like a small shrub
is lower and less woody overall, stressing a reduced woody structure
8.7
A small low plant with hard stems that grows less than one meter high
is shorter and has a woody base but is less woody than typical shrubs
How Woody
Surface Forms
Morphology
Etymology
Subshrub comes from sub- meaning 'under' or 'less' and shrub meaning 'a low woody plant', so it names a plant that is like a smaller, lower shrub with a partly woody base.