Sure the Northwest is famous for its forests, but try stepping past the beach fringe in many fine kayaking areas and you'll find it difficult to see the forest for the bushes.
Bushes are woody like trees, but have multiple stems and are generally less than ten meters tall.
Naturally there is some blurring betwixt the two-junipers, willows and numerous other trees will often grow as bushes in poor conditions. But bushes aren't there just to slow us down. They can grow in places where trees cannot, building and holding soil in extreme areas. They often provide more direct food to wildlife and are essential to the ecology of our coast. Natural old growth forest is more often a mosaic of trees and bushy openings, forest with three layers-the tree canopy above, a bush level one to four meters high and herbs at ground level.