buds

A bud is an undeveloped shoot that has the potential to form a new shoot, leaves, or flowers. In many plants, buds are compact growths protected by small, overlapping scales and are located at the tips of stems (terminal buds) or in the leaf axils (axillary buds). Some buds, called adventitious buds, can arise from unusual locations such as roots or damaged stems. Each bud contains meristematic tissue and embryonic primordia for future growth.

Buds can be classified by their developmental outcome. Vegetative buds give rise to new shoots and leaves, while floral buds develop into flowers; mixed buds may form shoots that bear flowers later. The fate of a bud depends on genetic programming and environmental signals such as light, temperature, and growth regulators. In temperate species, many buds enter dormancy during winter and require specific cues—often a period of chilling followed by warming—to resume growth, a process known as bud break or bud burst.

Structure and protection are important aspects of buds. Bud scales shield the delicate meristem during unfavorable seasons, and the scales are typically shed as the bud opens in spring. Depending on species, buds may be conspicuous at the tips of new shoots or tucked into leaf axils for protection and future growth.

In horticulture, buds are used for propagation. Budding and grafting are techniques in which a bud from one plant is joined to another plant to produce a new, uniform cultivar. T-budding and shield budding are common methods in fruit trees and ornamentals, enabling propagation of desirable traits without seeds.

Buds play a key role in plant regeneration, seasonal growth cycles, and agricultural practices, contributing to both natural ecology and human-managed gardens and orchards.