Field of Mars Environmental Education Centre

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Shrub habitats

Shrub habitats

What are shrubs?

Shrubs are plants which have multiple woody stems growing out of the base. They are usually under six metres tall. Native examples include bush peas, wattles, grevilleas and banksias.

Spider flower with flowers that look like spiders' legs
Image: Grey spider flower. Spider flowers provide nectar for animals.

Shrubs as habitat

Shrubs provide nest sites and protection for small animals from predators. They produce flowers containing nectar, seeds and fruit that some species of birds, invertebrates and mammals use for food. 

Wattle seeds with a brown casing and small black seeds in the centres
Image: After flowering wattles produce seeds. Many seeds are eaten but some will fall into the leaf litter and grow into a new plant.
Pink spider flower with a spider web around it
Image: Pink spider flowers are a type of grevillea. They provide food for many animals in the form of nectar. Can you see evidence of a spider using this flower?
A variety of flowering shrubs including boronia with four-petalled flowers
Image: After bushfires shrubs grow quickly to provide essential habitat and food to many species. The pinky purple shrub in foreground is boronia.

Eastern spinebill

An eastern spinebill bird is a type of honeyeater. It feeds on insects and nectar from flowers such as grevilleas and mountain devils. The long, narrow beak of a spinebill is designed to reach deeply into tubular flowers to obtain nectar.

Eastern spinebill on a red spider flower
Image: Eastern spinebills collect nectar from flowering shrubs.

habitat book
Image: Habitat digital book

Find out more

Habitat is a special digital book that investigates the needs of living things through detailed text, interactive activities, videos and stunning images.

Explore the value of habitats such as trees, shrubs and ground cover plants and non-living habitats such as leaf litter, rocks, logs and water.

Find out how to create and restore habitats that will help animals survive and thrive.

This book supports Australian Curriculum biological sciences and living world.

Download free from Apple Books.

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