Nowadays, shrubs are valued for their non−wood uses, such as fruits, flowers, bark, and leaves, and their biocenotic importance in maintaining forest ecosystems. The practical use of shrubs wood is primarily based on its historical applications. Historically, the wood of shrubs was used for various purposes, such as making musical instruments (black elderberry, blackthorn), weapons (common hazel), and craftwork (common hazel, blackthorn, rowan, hawthorn). The study aimed to determine the selected parameters and structural indices of wood fibres, as well as the structural, physical and mechanical properties of wood from Sorbus aucuparia, Corylus avellana, Sambucus nigra, Syringa vulgaris, Crataegus monogyna, and Prunus spinosa. The wood studied came from the following forest districts: Baligród, Dwukoły, Gościeradów, and Łomża. These studies have been conducted according to European standards. The following parameters and structural indices of wood fibres were analysed: length, width, lumen, wall thickness, slenderness ratio, Runkel ratio, rigidity index, Mühlsteph’s index, flexibility coefficient, solids index; physical properties: air−dry density, oven−dry density, basic density, wood porosity, total shrinkage of wood in longitudinal, tangential and radial directions, volumetric shrinkage, anisotropy index of shrinkage; mechanical properties: compression strength parallel to the grain, modulus of rupture and modulus of elasticity in static bending, including their quality coefficients. Species had a significant impact on all the parameters and structural indices of fibres, as well as the structural, physical, and mechanical properties of the wood of the shrubs. Hazel wood is the best for pulp and paper production of all the species studied. Its fibres are similar to the most commonly used species in this industry: birch. No correlation was found between ring width and density in the wood of the shrubs. In some species of shrubs, an increase in density leads to an increase in the total shrinkage in the tangential direction and the total volume shrinkage. The wood of shrubs is characterised by high density, and in the case of common lilac and blackthorn, it is higher than that of Polish forest−forming tree species. However, it has low strength properties. A significant correlation was determined between density and the mechanical properties of shrubs wood. Of all the species studied, the common hazel has the greatest potential for utilisation in many industry branches. The numerical values obtained for the tested properties of shrubs wood corroborate its historical use and suggest its potential for current applications.

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