Just about everything makes mostly a shallow pancake of roots just below the surface. Escallonia are brittle, you will probably find they can be jerked out/broken apart fairly readily.

Is Escallonia shallow rooted?

Now I find in places, less than a spades depth I hit natural rock. I have read online Escallonia roots are fairly shallow.

What shrubs dont have deep roots?

Fibrous roots, as the name implies, are made up of many small roots, which lie close to the surface in a compact mat. Fibrous-rooted shrubs make good foundation plants because they are non-invasive and the shrubs can be removed more easily than shrubs with more robust root systems, if the need arises.