Do selective herbicides kill all plant life?

The assertion that selective herbicides do not kill all plant life is accurate because selective herbicides are designed to target specific types of plants while leaving others unharmed. These herbicides operate by exploiting differences in plant physiology, leading to the disruption of growth processes in target species, such as broadleaf weeds, while being safe for desirable plants like grasses.

The purpose of using selective herbicides is to manage unwanted plant species in a way that preserves the surrounding beneficial plants and crops. For instance, many selective herbicides are commonly used in agricultural settings to eliminate weeds without adversely affecting crops that are tolerant to the herbicide.

In contrast, non-selective herbicides would kill all plant life in the application area, making them suitable for tasks like clearing a site or managing weeds in non-crop areas. Thus, the nature of selective herbicides inherently means that they target certain plants and do not indiscriminately kill all vegetation.