Kinds of Plants According to Form & Structure

Upright

• Plants with upright forms include trees or other plants that grow straight up and provide height. Within upright forms, there are columnar trees that are taller than they are wide, oval trees that widen in the middle and teardrop-shaped trees that are wider at the base and narrow to a point. Plants with an upright form include Lombady poplars, greencolumn maple, Upright European beech or oak, linden, as well as some kinds of evergeens like juniper or spruce. Upright herbaceous plants and shrubs include dwarf varieties of columnar trees like juniper or maple, as well as herbs and flowers such as rosemary and lilac.

Round

• Trees with a round shape include maple, ash and jacaranda. Many fruit trees have a round shape, including apple and lemon. Some types of roses also grow in round bushes or trees. Shrubs with a round growth habit include myrtle, trimmed boxwood, elderberry and heather. Shrubs and trees with compact, dense foliage like boxwood or bay laurel can also be trimmed into a round shape.

Spreading

• A spreading form on a plant means that the plant grows up from a central point and the branches spread out, giving the plant a vase-like, or V shape. Trees with spreading shapes include the redbud, dogwood, Goldenrain tree, Japanese maple and the crape myrtle. Spreading shrubs include rhododendrons, azaleas, holly, spruce and boxwood if not trimmed.

Creeping

• A plant with a creeping form grows close to the ground, and a creeping plant may form low hillocks and spread over the ground. Vines are common creeping plants, including morning glories, English ivy, clematis and jasmine. There are also varieties of other common herbaceous plants and flowers that have creeping in the name to identify their growth habit; these include thyme, phlox, juniper and lily.

Weeping

• A tree or bush with a weeping shape has a central trunk with branches that spread and fall down towards the ground, giving the tree or shrub a flat top. Many trees with this growth habit will have weeping in their name, including weeping varieties of cherry, beech and larch.