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
  • Impact of Rock Type on Plant Composition
  • Plant Adaptations to Deciduous Forests

Cumberland Plateau/Ridge & Valley Acidic Glades and Barrens

Acidic glades and barrens have outcroppings of bare rock interspersed with gravelly, thin-soiled barrens, scattered shrubs, and some islands of stunted trees, especially Virginia pine.  These communities occur on rocks that weather to form sandy, acidic, gravelly, and fast-draining soils, such as sandstone and conglomerate.  The rocks are resistant to weathering, so they form the capstones and ridgetops of the ecoregion, where they are exposed to high sunlight levels, which amplifies the effects of the thin soils and rock, creating a harsh but beautiful habitat that encourages pines, heath species such as rhododendrons and mountain laurels, grasses and sun-loving wildflowers. 

​Indicator and representative species:  Virginia pine, mountain laurel, black gum, little bluestem, big bluestem, and oat grasses.
What's special: these openings support grasses and composites that are not found in surrounding forests, increasing the diversity of plant and animal species.  The outcroppings can be beautiful, with rounded rock formations called "turtlebacks"  lichen-encrusted sandstone, and picturesque formations. The views from the ridgetops, overlooking the ridges and valleys of the ecoregion, can be spectacular.
Related communities:  Overlaps Acidic Cliffs and Outcrops community, and may be embedded within  Pine-Oak Woodlands.


Learn MORE HERE about plant adaptations to rocky places.  ​​
Plants

Click on a plant name to see ima
ges,  Plants are listed in order by scientific name.

Trees
Red maple Acer rubrum
Black birch Betula lenta
Downy serviceberry  Amelanchier arborea
Pignut hickory Carya glabra
Pale hickory/Sand hickory Carya pallida
Mockernut hickory Carya tomentosa
Sourwood Oxydendrum arboreum
Shortleaf pine  Pinus echinata 
​
Virginia pine Pinus virginiana 
Post oak Quercus stellata
Rock chestnut oak  Quercus montana
​
Shrubs
Fringe-tree Chionanthus virginicus
Witch-hazel Hamamelis virginiana
Mountain laurel  Kalmia latifolia 
Catawba rhododendron Rhododendron catawbiense
Great rhododendron  Rhododendron maximum ​
Gorge rhododendron  Rhododendron minus​
Winged sumac Rhus copallinum


Vines
Bush-honeysuckle Diervilla sessilifolia
Carolina jessamine Gelsemium sempervirens
Muscadine grape  Vitis rotundifolia
Summer grape Vitis aestivalis

​Ground Layer
Wildflowers
Harebell Campanula divaricata
Glade rushfoil Croton willdenowii
White wood aster Eurybia divaricata
Little flower alumroot Heuchera parviflora
Rock alumroot Heuchera villosa
​Quaker ladies/bluets Houstonia caerulea
Pineweed Hypericum gentianoides 
St. John's-wort Hypericum stragulum
Dwarf iris  Iris verna
Dense blazing star  Liatris spicata
Carolina lily  Lilium michauxii
Menges rock-pink/fameflower Phemeranthus mengesii
Appalachian rock-pink/fameflower Phemeranthus teretifolius

​Appalachian milkwort  Polygala curtissii
Goldenrod (sweet)  Solidago odora
Spiderwort (hairy) Tradescantia hirsuticaulis
​Spiderwort (smooth) Tradescantia ohiensis
Blue curls Trichostema dichotomum

​
Grasses
Big bluestem  Andropogon gerardii
​Wavy hairgrass  Avenella flexuosa 
Silky oatgrass  Danthonia sericea
​Poverty oatgrass Danthonia spicata
Little bluestem  Schizachyrium scoparium

​
Ferns and Fern Allies
​Mountain spleenwort Asplenium montanum
​
Ebony spleenwort Asplenium platyneuron
Twisted-hair spikemoss   Bryodesma tortipila
Appalachian rockcap fern  Polypodium appalachianum
​
Rockcap fern Polypodium virginianum
Marginal woodfern  Dryopteris marginalis
Hairy lipfern Myriopteris lanosa





Representative Trees in order by scientific name

Representative Shrubs and Vines, in order by scientific name

Representative Wildflowers, in order by scientific name

Southern harebell (Campanula divaricata) by Richard and Teresa Ware
White wood aster (Eurybia divaricata) by Richard and Teresa Ware
Rock alumroot (Heuchera villosa) by J. Pakchar
St. John's-wort (Hypericum stragulum) by Richard and Teresa Ware
Quaker ladies/bluets (Houstonia caerulea) Richard and Teresa Ware
Dwarf iris (Iris verna) by Richard and Teresa Ware
Dense blazing star (Liatris spicata) by Richard and Teresa Ware
Carolina lily (Lilium michauxii) by Richard and Teresa Ware
Menges' rock-pink (Phemeranthus mengesii) by Hugh and Carol Nourse
Appalchian milkwort (Polygala curtissii) by Richard and Teresa Ware
Sweet goldenrod (Solidago odora) by Richard and Teresa Ware
Hairy spiderwort (Tradescantia hirsuticaulis) J. Pakchar
Blue curls (Trichstema dichototomum) by J. Pakchar
Representative ferns in order by scientific name
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
  • Impact of Rock Type on Plant Composition
  • Plant Adaptations to Deciduous Forests