woody stems
Stiff plant stalks
Woody stems are the rigid, bark-covered stems of trees and shrubs, as distinguished from the soft, green stems of herbaceous plants.
The term appears in botany and gardening contexts when classifying plant types or describing pruning techniques: Cut back woody stems in late winter.
Plants with woody stems persist above ground year-round rather than dying back seasonally.
- evergreenRetains foliage year-round
- perennialRecurring each year
- shrubSmall woody plant
- softwoodConiferous tree lumber
- hardwoodDense deciduous timber
bark · cambium · coppice · pruning shears · xylem · angiosperms · lignin · pith · vascular tissue · timber · old growth · growth rings · phloem · foliage · tree bark · drought resistance · basketry · traditional medicine