Brushwood is a tangle of small branches, twigs, and shrubby growth that accumulates on the forest floor or grows in thick patches. When trees lose their lower branches or storms break off limbs, this woody debris piles up as brushwood. Dense bushes and small woody plants growing close together also form brushwood.

You might push through scratchy brushwood while hiking off-trail, feeling twigs catch on your clothes and backpack. Rabbits and small birds often hide in brushwood, using its tangled protection as shelter from predators.

Pioneers clearing land had to remove brushwood before they could plow fields or build cabins. They often bundled it for kindling, since dry brushwood catches fire easily. That same quality makes brushwood dangerous during droughts: a single spark can set it ablaze, which is why forest rangers sometimes clear brushwood from hiking trails and campgrounds. In fairy tales, characters frequently wander through dark forests filled with brushwood that blocks their path, making their journey difficult and mysterious.