A
woody plant is a
plant that produces
wood as its structural tissue. Woody plants are usually either
trees,
shrubs, or
lianas. These are usually
perennial plants whose stems and larger roots are reinforced with wood produced from secondary
xylem. The main stem, larger branches, and roots of these plants are usually covered by a layer of
bark. Wood is a structural
cellular adaptation that allows woody plants to grow from above ground stems year after year, thus making some woody plants the largest and tallest
terrestrial plants.
