Scrub country refers to a dense forest type that is somewhat drier than, and not as tall as, rainforest, and is characterised by a different suite of species. Scrub trees are easy to see (they are often bright green, or with dense glossy leaves) and there are many different varieties of trees, shrubs and vines in these areas. The groundcover layer in scrubs is typically very sparse or absent with the areas being highly susceptible to damage by fire. Scrub country also denotes a particular soil type that has rich loamy soils. Many scrub species need protecting from drought and frost when young but are then quite hardy once established.
Locations include:
Killarney, Yangan and Mt Sturt. Scrub country also occurs in wetter, lighter soil along the main range, where it is protected from fire.
Dry scrub is similar to the main scrubs around Killarney but occurs in drier sites and is usually comprised of very hardy species that can grow on shallow soils and survive long dry periods. It is often not as tall as the wetter scrub species and can be interspersed with Ironbark or other forest tree types. Dry scrub is not fire tolerant. Many of these species may be hard to find commercially but will be attractive and tough in lighter drier soils and provide habitat for native birds and insects.
Locations include:
The sandy hills just to the west of Warwick town area, around Gladfield on shallow soil hills or outcrops, as well as on rocky sites protected from fire.
Other locations include rocky gorges around Dalveen and Elbow Valley as well as west of Killarney where scrub species grow in a drier region than those east of Killarney.