Habit
/HAB-it/🌱 Growth Habits● Basic
Also known as: growth habit, growth form, plant form
The characteristic form, shape, and growth pattern of a plant, determined by its genetic programming and environmental influences. Habit describes the overall silhouette — whether a plant is upright, spreading, weeping, columnar, mounding, prostrate, or vase-shaped. Plant habit is a primary consideration in landscape design and helps with identification. The habit of a mature specimen may differ significantly from a juvenile plant.
Etymology
Latin habitus (condition, appearance), from habere (to have, hold)
Example
“The weeping habit of Salix babylonica (weeping willow) makes it a dramatic specimen tree near water features.”