The sections below cover the most common forms of bracken and scrub in the Welsh landscape. There are many other scrub forming species in Wales, such as dogwood (Cornus sanguineus) and wayfaring tree (Viburnum lantana), but these are the species that you are most likely to come across. On sand dunes, sea buckthorn (Hippophae rhamnoides) can also be a significant presence: this species is covered in the ‘Coastal dunes’ section.
Bracken and scrub
Bracken
In its reference state, bracken (Pteridium aquilinum) is a pioneer species that paves the way for woodland. It is a pteridophyte that forms large stands of homogeneous habitat on the sides of valleys and along the coast. It typically prefers deeper acid soils and, being deciduous, dies back in the autumn to form distinctive bright…
Gorse scrub
The reference state for European gorse (Ulex europaeus) is as a co-dominant species of dry heath habitats, typically with ericoid species. It has aphyllous, evergreen leaves and is common in the more oceanic western areas of the UK. In Wales, it is an extremely common species and often dominant in stands of dry heath. It…
Bramble
Bramble (Rubus fruticosus agg.) is an important broad-leaved, mostly deciduous shrub that provides both shelter and food for invertebrates, birds and small mammals, e.g. dormice. The reference state is healthy stands of flowering and fruiting shrubs. Bramble is a common and widespread shrub in Wales and can be found in a variety of situations, favouring…
Blackthorn
Blackthorn (Prunus spinosa) is a deciduous shrub or small tree that is a common constituent of open woodland and hedgerows, which turn white with blossom in March and early April. It can also form dense thickets on scree and coastal slopes, where it has benefited from the cessation of scrub management. This is particularly true…
Juniper scrub
Common juniper (Juniper communis) is a scarce and declining evergreen shrub that tends to grow in small patches on moorland, rocky slopes and coastal heaths. In North Wales it can be found on acid soils on cold, rainy moorland, alongside Heather and Bilberry, while in the South Wales it prefers the south-facing limestone cliffs of…