Natural Communities of North Georgia
  • Home
  • Piedmont
    • Piedmont Overview
    • Mesic (Moist) Forests
    • Oak-Pine-Hickory Forests
    • Bottomland/Floodplain Forest
    • Pine-Oak Woodlands
    • Montane Longleaf
    • Prairies and Savannas (Upland)
    • Wet Meadows and Marshes
    • Granite Outcrops
    • Glades, Barrens, and Woodlands
    • Ultramafic Barrens and Woodlands
    • Cliffs and Bluffs
    • Flatwoods (Upland Depression Swamps)
  • Blue Ridge
    • Blue Ridge Overview
    • Northern Hardwoods
    • Montane Oak Forests
    • Fertile Cove Forests
    • Acidic Cove Forests
    • Oak Forests
    • Pine-Oak Woodlands
    • High Elevation Outcrops
    • Mafic Dome Rock Outcrops
    • Rock Outcrops, Cliffs and Bluffs
    • Ultramafic Barrens and Woodlands
    • Mountain Bogs
    • Seepage Wetlands
    • Spray Cliffs
    • Montane Bottomlands and Flooplains
  • Cumberland Ridge & Valley
    • Cumberland Ridge & Valley Overview
    • Mesic Forests
    • Dry Calcareous Forests
    • Acidic Oak-Pine Forests
    • Pine-Oak Woodlands
    • Montane Longleaf
    • Calcareous (Cedar) Glades
    • Calcareous Cliffs
    • Calcareous Prairies and Barrens
    • Acidic Glades and Barrens
    • Acidic Cliffs and Outcrops
    • Flatwoods
    • Acidic Seepage Wetlands
    • Bottomlands and Flooplains
  • Plant Adaptations to Rock Outcrops
  • Plant Adaptations to Deciduous Forests
Acidic Cove Forests
Blue Ridge Acidic Cove Forests are moist forests that grow below 3,500- 4,000 feet, most often in steep north-facing coves, within ravines and gorges, and on colluvial flats near streams.  They have fairly thin,  acidic soils, often because organic materials cannot grow deeply on the thin slopes these forest inhabit.  Canadian hemlock has been an important component in the past, because it can root in the shallow soils and on rocks and fallen trees.  Over time, the hemlocks grow large, and their needles, along with the leaves of other acid-loving, evergreen plants, help keep the soils acidic. 

Indicator species: Eastern hemlock, Fraser magnolia, white pine, black birch, mountain laurel, great rhododendron, painted trillium, galax, Indian pipes and other ericads.

​What's special:   
These coves, lush with evergreens and rhododendrons, have a cool, mysterious feel and are especially beautiful near streams and waterfalls.  The evergreen hemlocks keep streams shaded and cool, which is important for aquatic life.   Tragically, the hemlocks are under threat from the woolly adelgid (see photos).  

Related communities: As sites become drier, they grade into Oak Forests.  Seepage Wetlands and Spray Cliffs communities are often embedded and intergrade with this community near waterfalls and streams.  ​​​​​​​​​​​Fertile Cove Forests and Acidic Cove Forests will often intergrade, with species from both appearing in a single stand.
Landscapes

Birds

​​Plants


Click on a plant name to see  images.  Plants are listed in order by scientific name. 

​
Trees
Black birch Betula lenta
American (white) beech Fagus grandifolia var. carolina 
Common silverbell Halesia tetraptera
Tulip-tree Liriodendron tulipifera
Fraser magnolia  Magnolia fraseri
Umbrella magnolia  Magnolia tripetala
 
White pine Pinus strobus
Northern red oak Quercus rubra

Eastern hemlock Tsuga canadensis  ​
 
Shrubs and Vines
Mountain sweet pepperbush  Clethra acuminata
Strawberry bush Euonymus americana
Smooth hydrangea  Hydrangea arborescens
Mountain laurel Kalmia latifolia 
Doghobbl
e Leucothoe fontanesiana 
Great laurel/Rosebay rhododendron  Rhododendron maximum 


Ground Cover
Wildflowers
White snakeroot  Ageratina altissima
​
Fly-poison Amianthium muscitoxicum
Round lobed hepatica Anemone americana
Jack-in-the-pulpit Arisaema triphyllum
Devil's-bit Chamaelirium luteum

Pipsissewa Chimaphila maculata
Trailing arbutus Epigaea repens
Galax  Galax urceolata 
Downy rattlesnake plantain  Goodyera pubescens
Shuttleworth's ginger Hexastylis shuttleworthii
Summer bluet Houstonia purpurea
Turks-cap lily   Lilium superbum
​
Fringed loosestrife Lysimachia ciliata
Whorled loosestrife Lysimachia quadrifolia
Partridge berry Mitchella repens
Indian pipes Monotropa uniflora
Axillary goldenrod Solidago caesia
Star chickweed Stellaria pubera
Rue anemone Thalictrum thalictroides
Foamflower Tiarella cordifolia
Catesby's trillium Trillium catesbaei
Painted trillium  Trillium undulatum  
Halberd-leaf violet Viola hastata

Ferns

Southern lady fern Athyrium asplenioides
​
​New York fern Parathelypteris novaboracensis
Broad beech fern Phegopteris hexagonoptera

Representative trees in order by scientific name

Representative Shrubs

Strawberry-bush by J. Pakchar
Mountain laurel by J. Pakchar
Mountain doghobble (Leucothoe fontanesiana) by J. Pakchar
Rosebay/great rhododendron (Rhododendron maximum) by J. Pakchar

Ground cover in order by scientific name

Representative ferns in order by scientific name
Broad beech fern (Phegopteris hexagonoptera) L. Edwards
Christmas fern (Polystichum acrosticoides) with fertile frond. J. Pakchar
New York Fern (Parathelypteris novaboracensis) by J. Pakchar
Picture

​Contents of this site are based on the book The Natural Communities of Georgia, which can be purchased from the University of Georgia Press, Amazon, and other vendors.
​



This site is a work in progress: comments and suggestions are welcome.  Email: ​naturalcommsga@gmail.com

  • Home
  • Piedmont
    • Piedmont Overview
    • Mesic (Moist) Forests
    • Oak-Pine-Hickory Forests
    • Bottomland/Floodplain Forest
    • Pine-Oak Woodlands
    • Montane Longleaf
    • Prairies and Savannas (Upland)
    • Wet Meadows and Marshes
    • Granite Outcrops
    • Glades, Barrens, and Woodlands
    • Ultramafic Barrens and Woodlands
    • Cliffs and Bluffs
    • Flatwoods (Upland Depression Swamps)
  • Blue Ridge
    • Blue Ridge Overview
    • Northern Hardwoods
    • Montane Oak Forests
    • Fertile Cove Forests
    • Acidic Cove Forests
    • Oak Forests
    • Pine-Oak Woodlands
    • High Elevation Outcrops
    • Mafic Dome Rock Outcrops
    • Rock Outcrops, Cliffs and Bluffs
    • Ultramafic Barrens and Woodlands
    • Mountain Bogs
    • Seepage Wetlands
    • Spray Cliffs
    • Montane Bottomlands and Flooplains
  • Cumberland Ridge & Valley
    • Cumberland Ridge & Valley Overview
    • Mesic Forests
    • Dry Calcareous Forests
    • Acidic Oak-Pine Forests
    • Pine-Oak Woodlands
    • Montane Longleaf
    • Calcareous (Cedar) Glades
    • Calcareous Cliffs
    • Calcareous Prairies and Barrens
    • Acidic Glades and Barrens
    • Acidic Cliffs and Outcrops
    • Flatwoods
    • Acidic Seepage Wetlands
    • Bottomlands and Flooplains
  • Plant Adaptations to Rock Outcrops
  • Plant Adaptations to Deciduous Forests