Natural Communities of North Georgia
  • Home
  • Piedmont
    • Piedmont Overview
    • Piedmont Mesic (Moist) Forests
    • PIedmont Oak-Pine-Hickory Forests
    • Piedmont Bottomland/Floodplain Forest
    • PIedmont Pine-Oak Woodlands
    • Montane Longleaf
    • Piedmont Prairies and Savannas (Upland)
    • Piedmont Wet Meadows and Marshes
    • Granite Outcrops
    • Piedmont Glades and Barrens
    • 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 Deciduous Forests
  • Plant Adaptations to Rock Outcrops
  • Impact of Rock Type on Plant Composition

Blue Ridge Ultramafic Barrens and Woodlands

Ultramafic Barrens and Woodlands,  often called Serpentine Woodlands,  are very rare natural communities made up of a mosaic of barrens, glades, and woodlands with outcroppings of dark, heavy,  ultramafic rock, such as dunite, soapstone and serpentine.  These rocks are very high in iron and magnesium, which inhibit the growth of some plants,  and may also contain levels of copper and nickle that are toxic to some plants.  Soils are shallow,  and very quick draining, leading to dry conditions.
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What's special: The rare and difficult conditions created by the bedrock result in a unique assemblage of plants that can tolerate the habitat.  Rare species sometimes grow over ultramafic rock  because  they cannot compete with plants in more common conditions.  

Related communities:  Grades into Pine-Oak Woodlands or Oak forest and has many species in common with Mafic Domes and Acidic Cliffs.  
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​​Learn MORE HERE about plant adaptations to rocky places.  
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Learn MORE HERE about rock types and their affect on plants.
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Plants
Click on a plant name to see images.  Plants are listed in order by scientific name. 


​Trees
Red maple  Acer rubrum
Black birch  Betula lenta
Mockernut hickory  Carya tomentosa
American holly Ilex opaca
Black gum  Nyssa sylvatica
Shortleaf pine  Pinus echinata
Pitch pine  Pinus rigida
White pine  Pinus strobus
Virginia pine  Pinus virginiana

Southern red oak  Quercus falcata
Post oak  Quercus stellata
Scarlet oak  Quercus coccinea

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Shrubs and Woody Vines
New Jersey tea Ceanothus americanus
Trailing arbutus (Epigaea repens)
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Teaberry  Gaultheria procumbens (a sub-shrub)
Ninebark  Physocarpus opulifolius
Hillside blueberry  Vaccinium pallidum

Deerberry Vaccinium stamineum
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Ground Layer
Wildflowers
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Nodding onion  Allium cernuum
Whorled milkweed  Asclepias verticillata
Harebell  Campanula divaricata
Woodland coreopsis  Coreopsis major
Common rough fleabane  Erigeron strigosus
Rattlesnake-master  Eryngium yuccifolium
Teaberry  Gaultheria procumbens
Small-headed sunflower  Helianthus microcephalus
Veiny hawkweed  Hieracium venosum
Yellow stargrass Hypoxis hirsuta
Dense blazing star Liatris spicata
Blazing star Liatris squarrulosa
Common wild quinine  Parthenium integrifolium
Nettle-leaf sage  Salvia urticifolia
Licorice goldenrod  Solidago odora

Skunk meadow-rue  Thalictrum revolutum
Rue anemone Thalictrum thalictroides 


Grasses
Big bluestem  Andropogon gerardii
Poverty oat-grass  Danthonia spicata
Little bluestem  Schizachyrium scoparium
Yellow Indiangrass  
Sorghastrum nutans
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Ferns and Fern Allies
Royal fern  Osmunda spectabilis
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Rockcap fern Polypodium virginianum​
Bracken fern  Pteridium aquilinum
Representative trees, in order by scientific name
Red maple (Acer rubrum) seeds; beautiful in spring and eaten by wildlife. J. Pakchar
Shortleaf pine (Pinus echinata) needles, usually 2 per bundle, and straight. by Richard and Teresa Ware
Shortleaf pine (Pinus echinacea) bark. Small resin holes in the bark are diagnostic. by Richard and Teresa Ware.
Pitch pine (Pinus rigida) bark. The epicormic needles (growing out of the bark) are diagnostic. by Richard and Teresa Ware
Pitch pine needles, usually in bundles of 3. by Richard and Teresa Ware
Virginia pine (Pinus virginiana) needles. Short needles, twisted, usually 2 per bundle. by Richard and Teresa Ware
Virginia pine (Pinus virginiana) bark, with a distinctive "chippy" texture. by Richard and Teresa Ware
Southern red oak (Quercus falcata) leaf by R&T Ware
Post oak (Quercus stellata) leaf by Richard and Teresa Ware
Representative shrubs, in order by scientific name
Ninebark (Physocarpus opulifolius) by Richard and Teresa Ware
Trailing arbutus (Epigaea repens) J. Pakchar
New Jersey tea (Ceanothus americanus) by Richard and Teresa Ware
Deerberry (Vaccinium stamineum). The stamens protrude out from petals, hence the scientific name. by J. Pakchar
Teaberry (Gaultheria procumbens) in fruit. J. Pakchar
Hillside blueberry (Vaccinium pallidum). J. Pakchar
Representative wildflowers, in order by scientific name
Representative grasses, in order by scientific name
Representative ferns, in order by scientific name
Picture

​Contents of this site are based on the book The Natural Communities of Georgia,

This site is a work in progress: comments and suggestions are welcome.  Email: ​[email protected]

  • Home
  • Piedmont
    • Piedmont Overview
    • Piedmont Mesic (Moist) Forests
    • PIedmont Oak-Pine-Hickory Forests
    • Piedmont Bottomland/Floodplain Forest
    • PIedmont Pine-Oak Woodlands
    • Montane Longleaf
    • Piedmont Prairies and Savannas (Upland)
    • Piedmont Wet Meadows and Marshes
    • Granite Outcrops
    • Piedmont Glades and Barrens
    • 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 Deciduous Forests
  • Plant Adaptations to Rock Outcrops
  • Impact of Rock Type on Plant Composition