Different Types of Plants
Growth habit mainly refers to the appearance, shape, height, and form of growth of a plant species.
Based on the growth habit, plants are broadly categorised into following groups:
1) Trees
- Trees are big and tall plants.
- They have very thick, woody and hard stems called the trunk. This single main stem or the trunk gives rise to many branches that bear leaves, flowers and fruits.
- Some trees are branchless like coconut trees; i.e., they have only one main stem which bears leaves, flowers, and fruits all by itself.
- The lifespan of a tree is very long. i.e., for several years.
- Banyan, mango, neem, cashew, teak and oak are some examples of trees.
Big Trees
Small Trees
2) Herbs
- Herbs are short-sized plants with soft, green, delicate stems without woody tissues.
- They complete their life cycle within one or two seasons.
- Generally, they have few branches or are branchless.
- These can be easily uprooted from the soil.
- Herbs contain enough nutritional benefits, including vitamins and minerals, to make them a part of a healthy balanced diet.
- Tomato, wheat, paddy, grass and bananas are a few examples of herbs.
3) Shrubs
- Shrubs are medium-sized, woody plants taller than herbs and shorter than a tree.
- Their height usually ranges from 6m to 10m tall.
- Their features include bushy, hard, and woody stems with many branches. Although stems are hard, they are flexible but not fragile.
- The lifespan of these plants usually depends on the species.
- Rose, jasmine, lemon, tulsi, and henna are some of the common shrubs around us.
4) Climbers
- Climbers have a very thin, long and weak stem which cannot stand upright, but they can use external support to grow vertically and carry their weight.
- These types of plants use special structures called tendrils to climb.
- A few climbers’ plant names include pea plant, grapevine, sweet gourd, money plant, jasmine, runner beans, green peas, etc.
5) Creepers
- Creepers, as the name suggests, are plants that creep on the ground.
- They have very fragile, long, thin stems that can neither stand erect nor support all their weight.
- Examples include watermelon, strawberry, pumpkin and sweet potatoes.
Few more pics of different plants
