[Objective] By studying the canopy interception ability of different shrubs, this paper aims to further understand the quantitative characteristics of the hydrological and ecological functions of the shrub canopy in this region and provide a theoretical basis for screening economic shrub species beneficial to water conservation in semi-arid areas.[Methods] In this paper, six economic shrubs with development potential in western Heilongjiang Province, namely Corylus heterophylla, Lycium chinense, Hippophae rhamnoides, Prunus tomentosa, Eleutherococcus senticosus, and Rosa davurica, were taken as the research objects. Through the monitoring of 15 rainfall events from June to September 2023, the canopy interception characteristics of the six shrubs were compared and analyzed.[Results] The canopy interception capacities of the six shrubs were significantly different (P < 0.05), and more than 70% of the rainfall fell in the form of throughfall. The variation ranges of the throughfall rate, stemflow rate and canopy interception rate of the shrubs were 71.47% - 91.16% (82.14%), 2.31% - 7.46% (4.4%), and 6.56% - 23.41% (13.65%) respectively. The canopy interception rate showed the order of Prunus tomentosa > Hippophae rhamnoides > Corylus heterophylla > Rosa davurica > Eleutherococcus senticosus > Lycium chinense, with the rates being 87.89%, 1.61% and 10.50% respectively. (2) Rainfall is the key meteorological factor affecting the rainfall interception process of the shrub canopy. The throughfall amount, stemflow amount and canopy interception amount of the six shrubs all had a significant linear positive correlation with the rainfall outside the forest (P < 0.01), and there was a logarithmic function relationship between the throughfall rate, stemflow rate, interception rate and the rainfall outside the forest. Correlation analysis was conducted on meteorological factors, stand characteristics and canopy interception capacity. The interception rate was positively correlated with temperature (P < 0.05) and negatively correlated with wind speed (P < 0.01). Except that the number of branches was not significantly correlated with the throughfall rate, the other stand characteristics were significantly positively correlated with the stemflow rate and canopy interception rate, and significantly negatively correlated with the throughfall rate.[Conclusion] There are certain differences in the interception capacities of different shrubs. Prunus tomentosa, Corylus heterophylla and Hippophae rhamnoides have relatively high interception rates and stemflow rates, and have advantages in reducing rain splash erosion and conserving water sources. Lycium chinense, Eleutherococcus senticosus and Rosa davurica have high throughfall rates and have advantages in increasing the effectively utilized water under the forest canopy. Both meteorological factors and stand characteristics play important roles in the process of shrub canopy interception.