Why Shrubs
Shrubs are an integral part of a healthy forest ecosystem. They typically have multiple woody stems branching from or near the ground and occupy the understory, where the majority of bird and animal species live. They are key to re-establishing woodlands in our city parks and ravines and a great return on investment. Download PDF
Shrubs are a Friend to Young Trees Shrubs provide a windbreak, browse protection from deer and cover for young trees as they get established.
But NOT a Friend to Invasive Species Shrubs can prevent buckthorn, dog strangling vine and other invasive species from getting established in the understory. Invasive species present one the biggest challenges in restoring Toronto’s ravines and parks.
Shrubs are Fast Growing Because shrubs can establish quickly, shrubs provide soil cover and stability and prevent soil loss and erosion caused by storm events. Leaf litter enriches the soil as trees get established.
The faster production of twigs and canopy means carbon and rain capture kicks in earlier than trees.
The fast maturity of shrubs enables earlier seed production and provides shelter and habitat for wildlife.
And Resilient Some multi-stemmed shrubs can afford to lose a stem or two and still survive, unlike a single-stemmed tree that faces a lethal risk if its stem breaks and dies. High wind conditions and ice storms are much more frequent due to global warming.
Shrubs Capture and Sequester Carbon Large shrubs can have the same above-ground wood volume as a small tree and an even larger area of photosynthetic tissue in the vascular cambium area of the stem and in the epidermis or bark.
When a shrub sequesters carbon, it also absorbs and filters air pollutants – a big win for city dwellers.
Shrubs Capture Rain and Storm Water Some native species can span three metres across (trees average 4.5 across) intercepting rainfall and reducing and filtering the amount of storm water entering our city’s aging municipal water systems. Toronto has witnessed three 50 year storm events in recent years.
Shrubs are a Friend to Wildlife Wildlife habitat is very fragmented in urban areas and shrubs provide protective bridges and corridors for wildlife – especially in restoration projects where young trees take 3 to 5 years to establish. Their dense, irregular branches are favoured by nesting birds.
Carefully selected native shrubs provide an abundance of flowering nectar, fruit and seeds – vital to the diversity of pollinators, birds and mammals living in our city.