Editing 23a:Shrub

{{quality|Exceptional|21:17, 28 April 2011 (UTC)}}{{av}}
A '''shrub''' is a small [[plant]] that grows naturally, as opposed to a domesticated [[farm]] crop.  They can be found all over the world in [[grass]]y areas, [[savanna]]s, [[forest]]s, and [[desert]]s.  They will also sprout on [[mud]]dy stone underground.  Shrubs are instrumental for [[plant gathering]], and in environments with a significant amount of [[vegetation]] they can be an excellent supply of food.

Gathering subterranean shrubs is also a requirement in obtaining [[quarry bush]]es, as rock nuts cannot be purchased during embark or obtained via trade.

==Harvesting==
Shrubs can be collected by dwarves with the [[herbalist]] labor enabled in order to produce plant items. Early on, shrubs can be an important source of food before the [[cave river]] is located and farm plots can be set up.

To collect plants, find green, healthy bushes – {{tile|"|2:0:0}} – rather than the dead or dried up brown ones – {{tile|"|6:0:0}} – and {{Key|d}}esignate them for {{Key|p}}lant gathering. Dwarves with the herbalist labor enabled and little else to do will rush out and start trying to gather plants. When a herbalist attempts to collect plants from an aboveground shrub, there is an 80% probability that he or she will fail to glean anything usable from it, regardless of their skill; underground shrubs, however, will always yield usable plants. There is usually plenty of available vegetation however, so designate a wide area and leave them to it.  

Most plants collected from bushes can be brewed or cooked, and some can be used as [[dye]]s. Brewing or eating (but not cooking) plants will also produce seeds, which can then be planted (for underground crops) or cooked into meals (for outdoor plants).

A [[stockpile]] should be created for storing the collected plants, or they will just be left outside to shrivel up in the sun. A general food stockpile will do, but a custom [[stockpile]] for specific plants will prevent the stockpile filling up with other junk. On the other hand, ensuring that all gathered plants can be stockpiled will result in a stiff performance drop as your herbalists run all the way back to the stockpiles after every successful harvest. In fortresses with a small number of Herbalists and many Haulers, a useful technique is to temporarily disable Food Hauling in the {{k|o}}rders menu while your herbalists are working, then turn it back on after they've finished harvesting so your haulers can collect everything before it withers.

==Extra information==

A shrub is a type of map tile, similar to [[tree]]s and [[wall]]s in that they are a state that can be designated for action, such as to be dug out or removed. They only occur naturally but tend to grow up very frequently during the year. 

In [[Dwarf Fortress mode|fortress mode]], it is not possible to know what type of plant a shrub will produce until it has been harvested.  In [[adventurer mode]], however, all shrubs are clearly identifiable upon examination.

==See Also==
* [[Crop]]s
* [[Farming]]
* [[Tree]]s

{{Category|Agriculture}}
{{Category|Map tiles}}