Create an Ecological Landscape Using Native Shrubs and Woodland Plants
As we continue exploring Nebraska’s native plant communities, it’s time to look into the rich, transitional zones of shrublands and woodlands! Shrublands and woodlands blend between ecosystems, which forms dynamic landscapes where various communities evolve. Their layered structure, adaptability, and regional uniqueness make them a key part of ecological landscaping across the Great Plains. While there are many variations of these ecosystems, the three key shrubland and woodland communities native to our region are 1) Great Plains Dry Upland Bur Oak Woodland, 2) Great Plains Wooded Draw, Ravine, and Canyon Ecosystems, and 3) Northwestern Great Plains Pine Woodlands. Each of these communities supports distinctive plant layers and species, offering inspiration for conservation, habitat creation, and native landscaping projects.
Great Plains Dry Upland Bur Oak Woodland
Found in the eastern third of Nebraska, these woodlands typically occur on upland slopes near mixed-grass prairies. Bur Oak is the dominant tree species with an open canopy, allowing Eastern Red Cedar to make its way through. The open canopy allows light to reach the understory, encouraging a rich diversity of shrubs and ground-layer plants.
- Herbaceous Layer: Wood Sedge, Longbeak Sedge, Wildrye species
- Shrub Layer (Shaded Areas): Roughleaf Dogwood, Gooseberry, Coralberry
- Shrub Layer (Sunny Areas): American Plum, Chokecherry, Smooth Sumac
These woodlands are excellent for erosion control and wildlife habitat and can be adapted into resilient, ecological landscaping for your home by mimicking their layered structure with native oaks, shade-tolerant shrubs, and woodland grasses.
Great Plains Wooded Draw, Ravine, and Canyon Ecosystems
These unique ecosystems occur across the unglaciated Great Plains, forming along slopes, stream valleys, ravines, and canyon bottoms. They represent a diverse range of plant communities, including Chokecherry–Plum Shrub Thickets, Skunkbush Sumac Shrubland, and Buffaloberry Shrubland. The structural layer typically features Eastern Red Cedar, American Plum, Chokecherry,
Skunkbush Sumac, and Buffaloberry—woody plants that provide both cover and food for birds and other wildlife. The ground layer is commonly composed of Little Bluestem, Sideoats Grama, and Threadleaf Sedge, all of which are well-adapted to dry, sloped terrain. While not explicitly described as drought-tolerant in all cases, these communities are naturally found in erosion-prone, sloped environments, suggesting their potential value in stabilizing terrain and enhancing biodiversity in residential landscapes with uneven or sloped ground. 📖 Learn more from the Terrestrial Ecological Systems and Natural Communities of Nebraska.
Northwestern Great Plains Pine Woodlands
Northwestern Great Plains Pine Woodlands are found, well, in the Northwestern part of the state. These communities are Dry-Mesic Ponderosa Pine Woodlands, Dry Ponderosa Pine Open Woodland and Savanna, and Pine-Juniper Scarp Woodlands. These woodlands feature Ponderosa Pine as the dominant canopy species, with Eastern Red Cedar occasionally appearing in the sub-canopy. 
The shrub layer often includes Chokecherry, Saskatoon Serviceberry, Fragrant Sumac (Rhus aromatica var. trilobata), and Wolfberry. In the herbaceous layer, grassland species thrive, including Big Bluestem, Sun Sedge (Carex heliophila), Pasque Flower (Anemone patens), and Smooth Blue Aster (Symphyotrichum laeve), among others. When considering ecological landscaping, these pine woodlands are particularly useful for large-scale conservation areas, acreage windbreaks, and restoring native habitat in dry regions.
How to Use Shrubland Plant Communities in Ecological Landscaping
Whether in a suburban neighborhood or managing a rural property, you can incorporate elements of these plant communities into your landscape. Consider transforming your existing foundation plantings into native plant communities that work together naturally. As Thomas Rainer and Claudia West suggest in Planting in a Post-Wild World, “The room-like quality of woodlands and shrublands—particularly tight tree clusters adjacent to open fields—works remarkably well for suburban contexts, suggesting how planting and paths might frame open lawns.”
- For Small Spaces: You can use a shrubland concept in a landscape bed in the front of the property to create a visual and audible screening from a busy street or highway.
- For Suburban Yards: You may use some trees and shrubs to give yourself privacy in your backyard while using sedges as a mulch-less groundcover.
- For Acreages: You can incorporate a shrubland design to create a seamless transition from a prairie ‘lawn’ to a thriving wooded windbreak.
Incorporating this concept into your landscape requires careful planning. As with any design, a thorough site analysis ensures that your plants thrive in their environment. Choosing plants from your local shrubland or woodland ecosystem can make your landscape more resilient, ecological, and beautiful. For design support or help selecting native species, reach out to our landscape designer or explore our blog series to revisit prairie, shrubland, and woodland plant communities!
