What is a thicket and why is it important for the environment?

A thicket is a dense grouping of native shrubs and small trees that provides critical habitat and food for wildlife, especially birds and insects. Thickets serve as transitional ecosystems between meadows and forests and are valuable for biodiversity, erosion control, and privacy in sub/urban landscapes.

How do I plant a native thicket in my yard?

To plant a thicket, select a mix of native shrubs and small trees (under 20 feet tall) and plant them closely together in an area at least 10 feet wide. Include edible species like native blueberries or plums for added community value. This method creates dense, low-maintenance plantings that benefit both wildlife and people.

Can thickets help restore damaged or over-managed woodland areas?

Yes. Thickets of shade-tolerant native shrubs are ideal for wooded areas lacking understory due to over-management or deer. They help reestablish habitat and fill ecological gaps without disturbing mature tree roots. Some deer protection may be needed until plants are established.

How do thickets help prevent invasive plant regrowth?

After removing invasive species, planting a dense native thicket fills the space and reduces the chance of invasives returning. This approach, based on the Pocket Forest method in From Wasteland to Wonder, allows you to control what grows back while supporting native ecosystems.

Thickets: Provide Privacy, Erosion Control, and Wildlife

Thickets are collections of native shrubs and small tree species growing close to one another. Once a common feature in natural landscapes, thickets are now less abundant due to hundreds of years of agriculture and development. These ecosystems are essential because they provide food and shelter for wildlife, including insects and birds, and serve as a transition zone between meadows and forests.

Fortunately, there's a way to bring thickets back into the landscape. By adapting the planting process used for Pocket Forests, we can create thickets that serve practical purposes like controlling erosion and functioning as privacy screens or wildlife habitats. Thickets can be especially useful under power lines, where the height of taller trees may be a concern. They are also perfect for establishing borders between properties. Even though most of these plants are deciduous, they still provide privacy during the dormant season because planting them so closely together results in their growing closely entwined.

How to Plant a Thicket

The process of planting a thicket mirrors that of growing a Pocket Forest, with a few slight modifications. Instead of only planting trees, you'll want to plant a mixture of shrubs and small tree species. Do not choose anything that grows taller than around 20 feet, and the thicket should have a minimum width of 10 feet to create sufficient density.

For fun, we can also include edible species. Some favorites are native blueberries, native plums (Chickasaw plum is my favorite!), and sumac that I use to make sumac lemonade, a delicious and refreshing summer treat. We can invite neighbors to enjoy this food and create a social gathering place.

Dense blueberry thicket providing privacy and habitat

Enhancing Shaded Areas with Thickets

Many wooded areas in the sub/urban landscape have suffered from over-management and deer predation, leading to a lack of understory vegetation. Thickets of shade-loving shrubs can be a perfect solution for filling these gaps. One of my favorite shade plants is the native pawpaw! Its fruit tastes like mango mixed with marshmallows and orange creamsicles.

When planting in wooded areas, care should be taken to avoid damaging the roots of existing mature trees. Thankfully, planting saplings requires minimal digging, so this can usually be done without issue. In many areas of the United States, new installations may require some form of deer protection. However, you can remove and reuse the fence once the thicket is established and of a certain height.

Thickets as Part of Reforestation Efforts

Reforestation is taking many exciting new directions, from drones dropping seeds to human labor planting thousands of saplings daily. Thickets play a role here, too. By planting islands of native thickets and Pocket Forests, we can encourage natural spreading over time, a method known as "applied nucleation." This approach often requires fewer resources than traditional reforestation and works just as effectively.

Replacing Invasives with Thickets

It is essential to remove and eradicate invasive trees, shrubs, and vines for all the reasons we know. But we cannot leave that space vacant. Something will grow—presumably more invasive plants. We can use the planting methodology discussed in the Pocket Forests chapter of Basil’s book, From Wasteland to Wonder, to load that space with native saplings of our choosing. By densely filling this space with these plants, we reduce the likelihood that the invasive plants will return.

Blending Thickets with Other Native Systems

Thickets integrate beautifully with other ecological restoration methods. For example, they can work as privacy screens along the sides of properties, while Pocket Forests can thrive in backyards, and native meadows can flourish in the front. These systems complement one another, creating a rich tapestry of native biodiversity. Once established, thickets and Pocket Forests require minimal maintenance—just occasional monitoring to ensure that one system doesn't infringe on another and that invasive species don't gain a foothold.

High density forest with wildflowers and native trees

Thickets are not only a powerful tool for restoring native ecosystems, but they're also a functional and beautiful addition to properties. By planting densely packed native shrubs and small trees, we can improve biodiversity, control erosion, and create natural privacy screens. Whether filling in underused spaces, restoring wooded areas, or replacing invasive plants, thickets are an eco-friendly solution that benefits both the environment and the community.

Are you interested in installing a thicket? Book an appointment to get a a free quote or send us an email and we’ll be in touch.