Shrubs

Shrubs are a natural, decorative ground block found on Serpulo that visually represent low vegetation on the planet's surface. They appear on various biomes where non-spore vegetation persists and contribute to the planet's Earth‑like surface aesthetics described in campaign lore. Shrubs are part of the environment rather than interactable resource nodes and do not provide items when destroyed.

Shrubs appear alongside other terrain features such as grasses, trees, rock, and pockets of ores; on Serpulo they coexist with both normal vegetation remnants and the pervasive spore infestation that altered the planet's flora. Their presence helps signal comparatively temperate or previously vegetated regions rather than the spore‑dominated or arid zones. Shrubs do not block building placement in the same way as larger obstacles, but clearing them with a unit or by building on top will remove them to make way for structures and conveyors.

Gameplay implications and practical notes:

• Shrubs are purely cosmetic and do not yield resources, so removing them is only necessary to place buildings or to improve pathing for units.
• They are vulnerable to the same area terrain changes that affect other flora (for example, being replaced by spore coverage after nearby spore events or by tile transformations caused by player construction).
• Because shrubs mark less contaminated ground in campaign sectors, their distribution can help players visually identify safer or previously green areas when scouting a map.
• Shrubs do not obstruct most projectile or unit movement; they are not defensive terrain and offer no cover.
• Clearing shrubs is incidental to normal base expansion; use builders, melee units, or place structures directly to remove them when needed.