Trees and Shrubs

Looking Around 2 — Plants. Types of plants — trees, shrubs, creepers — match this topic.

• Trees are tall plants with a thick, hard stem called a trunk.
• Shrubs are shorter plants with many thin stems from the ground.
• Creepers and climbers are plants that spread on the ground or climb using support.

Verbal: A mango tree is tall with one thick trunk; a rose shrub is short and bushy; a money plant climbs or creeps using support.

Symbolic: Tree = tall + thick trunk. Shrub = short + many thin stems. Creeper = weak stem + spreads/climbs.

Level 1 — Tree

Tall plant with one thick trunk — mango, neem.

Level 1 — Shrub

Short bushy plant with many stems — rose, hibiscus.

Level 1 — Creeper

Cannot stand alone, spreads on ground — pumpkin.

Level 2 — Climber

Uses support to climb up — money plant, grapevine.

Level 2 — Compare

Trees live longest; shrubs and creepers are usually shorter-lived.

How can you tell a tree apart from a shrub?

Step 1 — Look at the **stem** — is it one thick trunk or many thin stems?
Step 2 — A tree has **one thick trunk** and grows tall.
Step 3 — A shrub has **many thin stems** and stays short and bushy.
Answer: Trees have one thick trunk and are tall; shrubs have many thin stems and are short.

• Name one tree and one shrub.
• What kind of plant is a pumpkin vine?
• How many main stems does a tree usually have?

Stretch: Why does a money plant need a support or pole to grow tall? Compare a neem tree and a rose shrub.

Revision tip: On your next walk, spot one tree, one shrub, and one creeper and name them.

Open the Practice tab for graded questions on Trees and Shrubs.