Natural Communities of North Georgia
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  • 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

Piedmont Mesic Forests


Piedmont Mesic Forests  grow in cool, shaded sites such as north-facing slopes, within deep ravines, and on terraces by streams just beyond the bottomlands.  These shady, low sites stay evenly moist.  Organic materials, clays, and silts, which hold onto nutrients, collect here from uphill, creating deeper and richer soils than those of oak-pine-hickory forests.   These forests, in their protected locations, rarely experience large scale natural disturbance, so trees can grow old and hoary.  Many mesic forests, called "beech forests" by some ecologists, grow over schist or gneiss, and have soils rich in moisture and organic material, but are fairly acidic.  They are indicated by American beech, northern red oak, and tulip-tree.  Basic mesic forests grow over amphibolite or marble, which provide more nutrients in their soils.  Indicator species include an abundance of white basswood and southern sugar maple.  These are special forests with a rich diversity of plants
​
What's special:  These forests, especially the basic  stands,  often have stunning spring wildflower displays before the trees leaf out; comparable in beauty to Southern Appalachian coves in the best sites.  T
he cooler temperatures, moisture, and nutrients encourage a lush diversity of trees and wildflowers and support a rich animal life, including many amphibians.  Species more common to the mountains may also be found in some sites.
Conservation:  These special natural communities should be left undisturbed and allowed to grow to old age.  Fire will kill the thin-barked trees.
​
Related Communities:  These forests grade into Bottomlands near streams, and into Oak-Pine-Hickory (Dry-Mesic) Forests uphill and on south, east, and west exposures.  ​
​Learn MORE HERE about plant  adaptations in deciduous forests.
Landscapes

Birds

​Plants

Click on a plant name to see images. Plant lists in order of scientific name.  
​  ​​Terms such as "rich", "calcareous" and "mafic" are from The Flora of the Southern and Mid-Atlantic States, here.  ​

Canopy Trees
Southern sugar maple Acer floridanum (esp. calcareous and mafic )
​Red maple Acer rubrum
Bitternut hickory Carya cordiformis (especially in rich soils)
Red hickory  Carya ovalis 
Shagbark hickory Carya ovata
Persimmon (American)  Diospyros virginiana
American beech Fagus grandifolia 
White ash Fraxinus americana 
Tulip-tree Liriodendron tulipifera
Black gum Nyssa sylvatica
Cucumber magnolia  Magnolia acuminata (esp. calcareous and mafic)
Fraser magnolia  Magnolia fraseri (often acidic forests)
Bigleaf magnolia Magnolia macrophylla (esp. calcareous and mafic)
Umbrella magnolia  Magnolia tripetala
Red mulberry Morus rubra
White oak  Quercus alba ​
Water oak Quercus nigra
Willow oak  Quercus phellos
Northern red oak Quercus rubra
Shumard oak Quercus shumardii
Sassafras Sassafras albidum (esp. in gaps)
White basswood  Tilia americana var. heterophylla (rich soils) 

Sub-canopy Trees 
Serviceberry (downy)  Amelanchier arborea
Devil's walking stick Aralia spinosa (often a shrub)
Musclewood/American hornbeam Carpinus caroliniana
Redbud Cercis canadensis (esp. calcareous or mafic rock)
Flowering dogwood Cornus florida ​
Littlehip hawthorn Crataegus spathulata (esp. basic)
American holly Ilex opaca

Shrubs
Painted buckeye Aesculus sylvatica (nutrient-rich)
Pawpaw  Asimina triloba (nutrient-rich)
Beautyberry Callicarpa americana
Sweetshrub Calycanthus floridus
Strawberry bush Euonymus americana
Witch-alder Fothergilla major
Carolina buckthorn Frangula caroliniana (esp. over calcareous and mafic rock)
Witch-hazel Hamamelis virginia
Flowering hydrangea  Hydrangea arborescens
Oakleaf hydrangea Hydrangea quercifolia
Possumhaw Ilex decidua
Mountain laurel Kalmia latifolia (acidic)
Doghobble Leucothoe fontanesiana (acidic slopes)
Spicebush  Lindera benzoin (circumneutral soils, otherwise bottomlands)
Bay star-vine Schisandra glabra (rich slopes near bottomlands)
Big-leaf snowbell Styrax grandifolius
​Horse sugar Symplocus tinctoria
Mapleleaf viburnum Viburnum acerifolium
Blackhaw/Nannyberry Viburnum prunifolium

​Vines
Crossvine  Bignonia capreolata
Trumpet vine Campsis radicans
Coralbeads Cocculus carolinus (especially where calcareous)
Virgin's bower Clematis virginiana
Climbing hydrangea  Decumaria barbara
​Whorled wild yam  Dioscorea quaternata
Carolina spinypod  Matelea carolinensis (nutrient rich soils/rock)
Virginia creeper Parthenocissus quinquefolia
Greenbrier (whiteleaf/sawbrier) Smilax glauca
Yellow passionflower Passiflora lutea
Poison ivy Toxicodendron radicans
Muscadine Vitis rotundifolia

Ground Layer
Wildflowers
Dolls'-eyes  Actaea pachypoda (rich forests)
Black cohosh  Actaea racemosa (rich to very fertile forests)
White snakeroot Ageratina altissima
Fly poison  Amianthium muscitoxicum
Blue-stars Amsonia tabernaemontana
Sharp-lobed hepatica Anemone acutiloba (esp. calcareous and mafic)
Round-lobed hepatica  Anemone americana
Jack-in-the-pulpit Arisaema triphyllum
Wild ginger  Asarum canadense (rich, circumneutral soils)
Cutleaf toothwort Cardamine concatenata (rich forests)
Broadleaf toothwort Cardamine diphylla (rich forests)
Blue cohosh  Caulophyllum thalictroides (rich forests)
Devil's-bit Chamaelirium luteum
Horsebalm (southern/anise)  Collinsonia anisata (rich forests)
Horsebalm (northern)  Collinsonia canadensis (rich forests, esp. mafic or calcareous)
Yellow lady's-slipper Cypripedium parviflorum
Beech drops Epifagus virginiana
Harbinger-of-spring Erigenia bulbosa
Trout lily  Erythronium umbilicatum
Wild geranium Geranium maculatum
Avens Geum canadense
Downy rattlesnake-orchid  Goodyera pubescens ​
Heartleaf ginger/little brown jugs Hexastylis arifolia
Goldenseal Hydrastis canadensis (mafic and calcareous)
Crested iris  Iris cristata (rich forests)
Fringed loosestrife Lysimachia ciliata
Partridgeberry Mitchella repens
​
Indian pipes  Monotropa uniflora
Hairy sweet cicely Osmorhiza claytonii (fertile forests)
Smooth sweet cicely Osmorhiza longistylis (fertile forests)
Violet wood-sorrel Oxalis violaceae
Ginseng Panax quinquefolius (nutrient rich forests)
Blue phlox Phlox divaricata (circumneutral soils)
May-apple Podophyllum peltatum (rich forests)
Shooting star (eastern) Primula meadia (primarily with calcareous or mafic)
Carolina petunia Ruellia caroliniensis
Bloodroot Sanguinaria canadensis (nutrient-rich forests)
Starry campion Silene stellata
Blue-eyed grass Sisyrinchium angustifolius
Axillary goldenrod Solidago caesia
Indian pink Spigelia marilandica (usually circumneutral)
Giant chickweed Stellaria pubera
Rue anemone Thalictrum thalictroides
Foamflower Tiarella wherryi
Tassel-rue  Trautvetteria caroliniensis
Catesby's trillium Trillium catesbaei
Sweet Betsy/Toadshade trillium Trillium cuneatum (rich forests, usually mafic or calcareous rocks)
Nodding trillium Trillium rugelii (rich forests, usually mafic or calcareous)
Perfoliate bellwort Uvularia perfoliata
Halberd-leaf violet Viola hastata (often acidic coves)

Ferns
Northern maidenhair fern  Adiantum pedatum (esp. over mafic or calcareous rocks)
Southern lady fern Athyrium asplenioides
Rattlesnake fern Botrypus virginianus (especially on nutrient-rich slopes)
Silvery glade fern Homalosorus pycnocarpon (very nutrient-rich forests over mafic or calcareous rock)
New York fern Parathelypteris novaboracensis
Broad beech fern Phegopteris hexagonoptera
Christmas fern  Polystichum acrosticoides
Southern grape fern Sceptridium biternatum

Grasses, Sedges and Rushes
Upland oats Chasmanthium sessiliflorum
Wood-rush Luzulu acuminata
Nimblewill/Nimbleweed  Muhlenbergia schreberi


​Representative Trees in order of scientific name.
 
Southern sugar maple (Acer floridanum) leaf. Note the U shaped lobes, in contrast to red maple. Richard and Teresa Ware
Red maple in flower. This yellow-rumped warbler was eating bees that were pollinating the flower. Melanie Furr
Southern sugar maple (Acer floridanum) bark. It gets shaggier with age. Richard and Teresa Ware
Bitternut hickory (Carya cordiformis) leaf. A good indicator of mesic forests. Richard and Teresa Ware
Bitternut hickory (Carya cordiformis) bark. Richard and Teresa Ware
Silverbell (Halesia tetraptera) bark. The striping is also noticeable on the limbs. Richard and Teresa Ware
Silverbell (Halesia tetraptera) flowers. Richard and Teresa Ware
American beech (Fagus grandifolia). Smooth white bark. The dead, dry leaves stay on the tree all winter. Hugh and Carol Nourse
White ash (Fraxinus americana). It has compound opposite leaves. Richard and Teresa Ware
Tulip-tree (Liriodendron tulipifera) in flower. ID tip: the flower is like no other (and is loved by insects). The leaves are also unique: the top is notched slightly downward. Richard and Teresa Ware
Tulip-tree (Liriodendron tulipifera) trunk. ID tip: The bark is somewhat light and evenly ridged and the trunk very straight, with angular limbs. Richard and Teresa Ware
Cucumber magnolia (Magnolia acuminata). Our only yellow-flowered magnolia. Richard and Teresa Ware
Basswood (Tilia americana) typically grows in more nutrient-rich soils in Piedmont mesic forest: begin looking for other interesting plants. ID tip: simple leaves with somewhat uneven (cordate) heart-shaped bases. Will Cook
White oak (Quercus alba), easily identified by the "sideways" shaggy bark. Richard and Teresa Ware
White oak (Quercus alba). Richard and Teresa Ware
Northern red oak (Quercus rubra) bark. ID tip: white stripes in bark, which black oak does not have. Richard and Teresa Ware
Northern red oak (Quercus rubra) leaf, which resembles that of black oak, so check the tree trunk (next photo). Richard and Teresa Ware
Cucumber magnolia (Magnolia acuminata) leaf. Richard and Teresa Ware
Representative shrubs in order of scientific name
Beautyberry (Callicarpa americana) with American Robin feeding on berries. Vinod Babu
Sweet-shrub (Calycanthus florida) in flower.
Strawberry-bush (Euonymus americana) in fruit. J. Pakchar
Mountain laurel (Kalmia latifolia) in flower by J. Pakchar
Doghobble (Leucothoe fontanesiana) in flower. J. Pakchar
Spicebush (Lindera benzoin) in fruit, which is high in lipids, providing energy for migrating birds. by Richard and Teresa Ware
Horse sugar (Symplocus tinctoria) in bloom. L. Edwards
Representative vines in order of scientific name
Representative wildflowers in order of scientific name.
Doll's-eyes (Actaea pachypoda) in flower by Richard and Teresa Ware
Wild ginger (Asarum canadense) in flower. J. Pakchar
Doll's-eyes (Actaea pachypoda) in fruit, making the source of the common name clear. J. Pakchar
Sharp-lobed hepatica (Anemone acutiloba) by J. Pakchar
Sharp-lobed hepatica (Anemone acutiloba) with white flower by J. Pakchar
Sharp-lobed hepatica (Anemone acutiloba) leaf. J. Pakchar
Cut-leaf toothwort (Cardamine concatenata) by J. Pakchar
Devil's-bit (Chamaelirium luteum) by J. Pakchar
Yellow lady's-slipper (Cypripedium parviflorum) by Hugh and Carol Nourse
Beechdrops (Epifagus virginiana) are annual plants that are parasitic upon beech trees. by Irenee Payne.
Harbinger-of-spring (Erigenia bulbosa) in bloom, next to a trillium about to bloom. J. Pakchar
Trout lily (Erythronium umbilicatum) by J. Pakchar
Wild geranium (Geranium maculatum) by Hugh and Carol Nourse
White avens (Geum canadense. The basal leaves form a good ground cover. by J. Pakchar
Goldenseal (Hydrastis canadensis) by Hugh and Carol Nourse
Crested iris (Iris cristat) by J. Pakchar
Fringed loosestrife (Lysimachia ciliata) by J. Pakchar
Violet wood-sorrel (Oxalis violaceae) J. Pakchar
Sweet cicely (Ozmorhiza longistylis) by Richard and Teresa Ware
Ginseng (Panax quinquefolius) in fruit. by Hugh and Carol Nourse
Partridgeberry (Mitchella repens) in fruit. J. Pakchar
Blue phlox (Phlox divaricata) by J. Pakchar
May-apple (Podophyllum peltatum). This plant tends to clone. J. Pakchar
Carolina petunia (Ruellia caroliniensis) J. Pakchar
Bloodroot (Sanguinaria canadensis) by J. Pakchar
Axillary goldenrod (Solidago caesia) by J. Pakchar
Pinkroot (Spigelia marilandica) by Hugh and Carol Nourse
Star/Giant chickweed (Stellaria pubera) by J. Pakchar
Rue anemone (Thalictrum thalictroides) J. Pakchar
Foam flower (Tiarella wherryi) next to New York fern. J. Pakchar
Catesby's trillium (Trillium catesbaei) by J. Pakchar
Sweet Betsy trillium (Trillium cuneatum) by J. Pakchar
Nodding trillium (Trillium rugellii). J. Pakchar
Crane-fly orchid (Tipularia discolor). Leafs out in winter. by J. Pakchar
Pefoliate bellwort (Uvularia perfoliata) by R&T Ware
Halberd leaf violet (Viola hastata) by J. Pakchar
Representative Ferns 
Northern maidenhair fern (Adiatum pedatum) by Richard and Teresa Ware
Broad beech fern (Phegopteris hexagonoptera) L. Edwards
Christmas fern (Polystichum acrosticoides) with fertile frond. J. Pakchar
New York Fern (Parathelypteris novaboracensis) by J. Pakchar
Southern grape fern (Sceptridium biternaturm); fertile frond in late summer, fall, unlike rattlesnake fern with fertile front in spring and summer.
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