Semi-woody
/seh-mee-WOO-dee/🔬 Anatomy●● Intermediate
Also known as: sub-shrub, subshrub
Describes a plant whose older stems develop some woody tissue while newer growth remains green and flexible. Semi-woody plants, sometimes called subshrubs, occupy the middle ground between true herbaceous perennials and fully woody shrubs. They may die back partially in winter, resprouting from the woody base in spring.
Etymology
Latin semi- (half) + Old English wudu (wood, forest)
Example
“Lavandula angustifolia is semi-woody, with a persistent woody base and soft flowering stems that benefit from annual pruning.”