Difference Between Broad Leafed Plants Vs. Grasses

Broadleaf plants sprout with two leaves, called dicotyledons.

Broadleaf plants sprout with two leaves, called dicotyledons.

Plants are divided into two major classes, monocotyledon and dicotyledon. Grasses are a group within the monocotyledon classification. Further division of grasses is made between cereal grasses, such as oats and wheat, and grasses grown for lawn and pastures. Broadleafs are dicotyledon, a diverse group of plants used for food, shade, fiber, building materials and ornamental purposes. Generally, grasses can withstand drier conditions, continual clipping close to the ground and even fire better than broadleaf plants, which suffer serious harm or death from these situations.

Identification and Differences

The seeds of monocots contain only one leaf in the plant embryo, compared to the seeds of dicots that have two leaves in the embryo. When seeds sprout, identification of the plant as a monocot or dicot is made by the emergence of the leaves, whether one blade or a pair of leaves. Other identifying features are the veins of the leaves, which are parallel or in straight lines from a central midrib. Leaves of dicots have a central midrib from which branch many veins that are connected by a web-like network. Stems of monocots are generally fleshy, as in grasses, and they do not thicken over time. Dicot stems, however, can be hard or woody and thicken as the plant ages. Broadleaf plant roots can take many forms, including fibrous and single taproot. Roots of grasses are always fibrous. (See References 1 and 2.)


Grasses spread by clumping or running. Clumping grasses stay in the same place, with tufts increasing in circumference through development of new divisions called culms. Spreading or creeping grasses can cover great distances through development of runners, or stolons. Creeping grasses generally grow during warm weather and go dormant during cool weather, compared to clumping grasses that slow down in growth, but remain green throughout the year. Lawns are established by seed for clumping, tuft-forming grasses, and certain spreading grasses. However, many creeping grasses are only propagated by vegetative means through laying sod or planting sprigs or stolons.

Broadleaf Plants

Broadleaf plants can also increase in size by clumping or running, but this group of plants has diverse means of spreading or reproducing itself, such as seeds, cuttings, tubers, corms and root division. While the home gardener's primary use of grass is for ground cover, broadleaf plants range in variety from groundcovers to giant trees. Although some broadleaf plants are used ornamentally for their decorative or colorful leaves, most broadleaf plants are valued for their flowers, which can be fragrant and colorful.


The differences between grasses and broadleaf plants is highly significant to horticulturists and agriculturists, as chemicals for plant management are plant-type specific. Chemicals for herb control are designed as broad-spectrum, which kills all herbaceous growth, or selective, which kills either broadleaf weeds or grasses, based on the chemical composition. A broadleaf weed killer known as 2,4-D amine is used on lawns, pastures, roadsides and other applications where broadleaf plant growth is undesirable. Other products are designed for pre- or post-emergence grass killing. It is important to read and follow label directions carefully for application and safety when using herbicides.

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