Habitat in North Carolina
Dry forests and woodlands
Forests and open woodlands on dry ridges and slopes, often oak or pine. Schafale
- Plants
- 217
- Birds
- 124

Plants
Plants that grow wild in this habitat in North Carolina. Not a planting list.
Most characteristic plants of this habitat 217
Natives first, plants found in fewer other habitats first.
- Grassleaf RoselingCuthbertia graminea
- Moss PhloxPhlox subulata
- Piedmont RoselingCuthbertia rosea
- Zigzag SpiderwortTradescantia subaspera
- CurlyheadsClematis ochroleuca
- False Solomon's-sealMaianthemum racemosum
- Slender IndiangrassSorghastrum elliottii
- Hill CaneArundinaria appalachiana
- Spring Forget-me-notMyosotis verna
- Allegheny HawkweedHieracium paniculatum
- Allegheny Mountain Golden-bannerThermopsis mollis
- Ashleaf Golden-bannerThermopsis fraxinifolia
- Doubleform SnoutbeanRhynchosia difformis
- Heller's Rabbit-tobaccoPseudognaphalium helleri
- Lanceleaf FigwortScrophularia lanceolata
- Poverty OatgrassDanthonia spicata
- Appalachian BunchflowerMelanthium parviflorum
- Slender BunchflowerMelanthium hybridum
- Pursh's Wild-petuniaRuellia purshiana
- Plantain-leaf PussytoesAntennaria plantaginifolia
- Fringed BluestarAmsonia ciliata
- Field PussytoesAntennaria neglecta
- Southern DawnflowerStylisma humistrata
- American WintergreenPyrola americana
- Clasping Venus's-looking-glassTriodanis perfoliata
- Indian-pipeMonotropa uniflora
- Little Brown JugHexastylis arifolia
- Virginia SnakerootEndodeca serpentaria
- Spanish-mossTillandsia usneoides
- Variable-leaf HeartleafHexastylis heterophylla
- Yellow Star-grassHypoxis hirsuta
- American IpecacGillenia stipulata
- White IrisetteSisyrinchium dichotomum
- Hedgehog WoodrushLuzula echinata
- Northern Green-and-goldChrysogonum virginianum
- Bulbous WoodrushLuzula bulbosa
- Wavyleaf NoseburnTragia urens
- Buffalo-nutPyrularia pubera
- Autumn CoralrootCorallorhiza odontorhiza
- Crested CoralrootHexalectris spicata
- Indian PinkSpigelia marilandica
- Southern JointweedPolygonella americana
- Spring CoralrootCorallorhiza wisteriana
- Virginia PennywortObolaria virginica
- Flowering DogwoodBenthamidia florida
- Woodland SunflowerHelianthus divaricatus
- Aromatic AsterSymphyotrichum oblongifolium
- Largeflower AsterSymphyotrichum grandiflorum
Wildlife
Animals whose habitat model includes this habitat in North Carolina. Shared habitat, not food.
Most characteristic birds of this habitat 48
Ranked by how much of their habitat model this habitat is.
- Red CrossbillLoxia curvirostra
- Pine WarblerDendroica pinus
- Red-cockaded WoodpeckerPicoides borealis
- Brown-headed NuthatchSitta pusilla
- Blackburnian WarblerDendroica fusca
- Red-breasted NuthatchSitta canadensis
- Bachman's SparrowAimophila aestivalis
- Brewer's BlackbirdEuphagus cyanocephalus
- Brown-headed CowbirdMolothrus ater
- Canada WarblerWilsonia canadensis
- Eastern BluebirdSialia sialis
- Blue-headed VireoVireo solitarius
- Black-throated Blue WarblerDendroica caerulescens
- Cerulean WarblerDendroica cerulea
- Northern BobwhiteColinus virginianus
- OvenbirdSeiurus aurocapilla
- White-breasted NuthatchSitta carolinensis
- White-crowned SparrowZonotrichia leucophrys
- Black-throated Green WarblerDendroica virens
- Evening GrosbeakCoccothraustes vespertinus
- Kentucky WarblerOporornis formosus
- Northern Saw-whet OwlAegolius acadicus
- Scarlet TanagerPiranga olivacea
- Summer TanagerPiranga rubra
- Worm-eating WarblerHelmitheros vermivorum
- Prairie WarblerDendroica discolor
- Blue-winged WarblerVermivora pinus
- Chuck-will's-widowCaprimulgus carolinensis
- Golden-winged WarblerVermivora chrysoptera
- Magnolia WarblerDendroica magnolia
- Red-headed WoodpeckerMelanerpes erythrocephalus
- Black-capped ChickadeePoecile atricapillus
- Ruffed GrouseBonasa umbellus
- American Tree SparrowSpizella arborea
- Long-eared OwlAsio otus
- Orchard OrioleIcterus spurius
- American WoodcockScolopax minor
- Least FlycatcherEmpidonax minimus
- Black-billed CuckooCoccyzus erythropthalmus
- Indigo BuntingPasserina cyanea
- Baltimore OrioleIcterus galbula
- Hooded WarblerWilsonia citrina
- Barred OwlStrix varia
- Eastern PhoebeSayornis phoebe
- Rose-breasted GrosbeakPheucticus ludovicianus
- Wood ThrushHylocichla mustelina
- Wild TurkeyMeleagris gallopavo
- Yellow-throated WarblerDendroica dominica
Near water in this habitat 7
These use it only close to water, such as stream banks for nesting.
- Louisiana WaterthrushSeiurus motacilla
- Broad-winged HawkButeo platypterus
- Northern ParulaParula americana
- Swainson's WarblerLimnothlypis swainsonii
- Acadian FlycatcherEmpidonax virescens
- Cliff SwallowPetrochelidon pyrrhonota
- VeeryCatharus fuscescens
Widespread birds also seen here (69)
Found in many habitats here, so not listed above.
- American Crow
- American Goldfinch
- American Kestrel
- American Redstart
- American Robin
- Bald Eagle
- Belted Kingfisher
- Black Vulture
- Black-and-White Warbler
- Blue Grosbeak
- Blue Jay
- Blue-gray Gnatcatcher
- Brown Creeper
- Brown Thrasher
- Carolina Chickadee
- Carolina Wren
- Cedar Waxwing
- Chestnut-sided Warbler
- Chimney Swift
- Chipping Sparrow
- Common Grackle
- Common Nighthawk
- Common Raven
- Common Yellowthroat
- Cooper's Hawk
- Dark-eyed Junco
- Double-crested Cormorant
- Downy Woodpecker
- Eastern Kingbird
- Eastern Screech-owl
- Eastern Towhee
- Eastern Wood-pewee
- Eurasian Collared-dove
- European Starling
- Fish Crow
- Fox Sparrow
- Golden-crowned Kinglet
- Gray Catbird
- Great Crested Flycatcher
- Great Horned Owl
- Hairy Woodpecker
- Hermit Thrush
- Hooded Merganser
- Mourning Dove
- Northern Cardinal
- Northern Flicker
- Northern Mockingbird
- Olive-sided Flycatcher
- Orange-crowned Warbler
- Osprey
- Pileated Woodpecker
- Pine Siskin
- Purple Finch
- Red-bellied Woodpecker
- Red-tailed Hawk
- Red-winged Blackbird
- Ruby-crowned Kinglet
- Ruby-throated Hummingbird
- Sharp-shinned Hawk
- Song Sparrow
- Spotted Sandpiper
- Tufted Titmouse
- Turkey Vulture
- White-eyed Vireo
- White-throated Sparrow
- Yellow-bellied Sapsucker
- Yellow-billed Cuckoo
- Yellow-breasted Chat
- Yellow-rumped Warbler
Sources
- Schafale, Guide to the Natural Communities of North Carolina, Fourth Approximation (NC Natural Heritage Program, 2012) habitat description
- Weakley, Flora of the Southeastern United States (2025), Carolinas & Georgia edition, habitat text phone app
- NC Parks species accounts
- USDA Forest Service Fire Effects Information System (reviewed notes)
- USGS Gap Analysis Project habitat models (2001)
- USGS Gap Analysis Project range maps (2001)
- NatureServe Explorer ecological systems (CC BY 4.0)
- Snake-den-ridge-trail-gsmnp2, Brian Stansberry habitat picture
Habitat classes are filed under these habitat types by reviewed matches; descriptions are short glosses.



















































































