Bush and shrub, what's the difference? how to tell them apart?

In my experience in the US, bushes are free and shrubs are expensive.

That's an oversimplification, Luke.
Some species are traditionally called "bush,"
like a rose bush; a hydrangea bush, a blackberry bush, a lilac bush.

Offhand, I can't think of a case of a "(blank) shrub," but I'm not much of a landscaper.

We'd say, I planted some expensive shrubbery around my house.
We wouldn't say, I planted some expensive bush

I'll join in because I found the topic interesting. The bravest on-line general dictionary has this definition:

Bush: (n) A shrub with branches; a thick shrub; technically, a low and much-branched shrub.

However, I don't believe it for a minute; I think they're synonymous. The GardenWeb Glossary of Botanical Terms (which should know the topic best) says

Thanks, MrM.

Do you have a bonsai tree?

- A.

I did. It died within a couple of weeks of acquisition.

Sorry.

hey,
I think you've totally exhausted the topic. Now I know how to tell off all that stuff.
Thx,
Luke

sinai_beach totally exhausted the topic.

Oh, not by any means!

I like the way you express yourself. You use phrases and words that are not common to me. I'll try to learn them by rote.

sinai_beach Now I know how to tell off all that stuff.

How about this one?

We don't usually "tell something off." But we "tell somebody off."

I decided to tell off the principal, and I got whacked for it.

You can "list off all that stuff." (verbal or written)

You can "rattle off a list of all that stuff." (verbal