Shoot

In botany, shoots  are stems plus the leaves and lateral buds, flowering stems and flower buds.  The new growth from seed germination that grows upward is a shoot where leaves will develop.  In the spring, perennial plant shoots are the new growth that grows from the ground in herbaceous plants or the new stem or flower growth that grows on woody plants.

In everyday speech, shoots are often synonymous with stems.

Young shoots are often eaten by animals because the fibers in the new growth have not yet completed secondary cell wall development, making the young shoots softer and easier to chew and digest.
As shoots grow and age, the cells develop secondary cell walls that have a hard and tough structure.

Some plants produce toxins that make their shoots inedible or less palatable (pleasant to eat).

 References 

Category:Plant anatomy