Habitat in North Carolina
Freshwater marshes
Open, herb-covered wetlands with fresh, non-tidal water. Schafale
- Plants
- 245
- Birds
- 68

Plants
Plants that grow wild in this habitat in North Carolina. Not a planting list.
Most characteristic plants of this habitat 245
Natives first, plants found in fewer other habitats first.
- Climbing HempweedMikania scandens
- Stalked PanicgrassColeataenia pulchra
- Longleaf LobeliaLobelia elongata
- Blue WitchgrassDichanthelium caerulescens
- Softstem BulrushSchoenoplectus tabernaemontani
- Nash's Meadow-beautyRhexia nashii
- Reed Canary-grassPhalaris arundinacea
- Southern Marsh YellowcressRorippa teres
- Coastal LovegrassEragrostis refracta
- Slender Yellow-eyed-grassXyris torta
- Sensitive FernOnoclea sensibilis
- Lax HornpodMitreola petiolata
- Branched Hedge-hyssopGratiola ramosa
- Leavenworth's GoldenrodSolidago leavenworthii
- Northern Coastal VioletViola brittoniana
- Southern Winged LoosestrifeLythrum lanceolatum
- Gaping GrassSteinchisma hians
- Royal FernOsmunda spectabilis
- Low NutrushScleria verticillata
- Meadow SpikemossSelaginella apoda
- Long Beach SeedboxLudwigia brevipes
- Savanna PanicgrassPhanopyrum gymnocarpon
- Lanceleaf FrogfruitPhyla lanceolata
- Compact DodderCuscuta compacta
- Longspike FluffgrassTridens strictus
- Climbing DogbaneThyrsanthella difformis
- Seaside BrookweedSamolus parviflorus
- Carolina GrasswortLilaeopsis carolinensis
- Common ElderberrySambucus canadensis
- Divided SedgeCarex divisa
- Piedmont FlatsedgeCyperus distans
- Triangle OrachAtriplex prostrata
- Asian RiceOryza sativa
- European SweetflagAcorus calamus
- Giant ArrowheadSagittaria montevidensis
- Water-chickweedStellaria aquatica
- Awnless BeggarticksBidens polylepis
- Clustered DockRumex conglomeratus
- Colombian WaxweedCuphea carthagenensis
- Delta ArrowheadSagittaria platyphylla
- European BugleweedLycopus europaeus
- Bulb-bearing Water-hemlockCicuta bulbifera
- Elliott's MilkpeaGalactia elliottii
- Illinois BundleflowerDesmanthus illinoensis
- Ricefield FlatsedgeCyperus iria
- Purple-stem AngelicaAngelica atropurpurea
- Pampas GrassCortaderia selloana
- Purple LoosestrifeLythrum salicaria
Wildlife
Animals whose habitat model includes this habitat in North Carolina. Shared habitat, not food.
Most characteristic birds of this habitat 23
Ranked by how much of their habitat model this habitat is.
- Willow FlycatcherEmpidonax traillii
- King RailRallus elegans
- White-crowned SparrowZonotrichia leucophrys
- Prairie WarblerDendroica discolor
- GadwallAnas strepera
- Least BitternIxobrychus exilis
- American Tree SparrowSpizella arborea
- Orchard OrioleIcterus spurius
- Ring-necked DuckAythya collaris
- Wilson's SnipeGallinago delicata
- Alder FlycatcherEmpidonax alnorum
- Black-billed CuckooCoccyzus erythropthalmus
- Cliff SwallowPetrochelidon pyrrhonota
- Ring-necked PheasantPhasianus colchicus
- MallardAnas platyrhynchos
- Horned GrebePodiceps auritus
- VeeryCatharus fuscescens
- Rose-breasted GrosbeakPheucticus ludovicianus
- American BitternBotaurus lentiginosus
- Northern Saw-whet OwlAegolius acadicus
- SoraPorzana carolina
- Wood DuckAix sponsa
- Tree SwallowTachycineta bicolor
Widespread birds also seen here (45)
Found in many habitats here, so not listed above.
- American Black Duck
- American Goldfinch
- American Kestrel
- American Redstart
- Bank Swallow
- Belted Kingfisher
- Black Vulture
- Black-and-White Warbler
- Black-crowned Night-heron
- Blue Jay
- Blue-gray Gnatcatcher
- Canada Goose
- Cedar Waxwing
- Chestnut-sided Warbler
- Chimney Swift
- Common Nighthawk
- Common Raven
- Common Yellowthroat
- Cooper's Hawk
- Dark-eyed Junco
- Double-crested Cormorant
- Eastern Kingbird
- European Starling
- Fox Sparrow
- Gray Catbird
- Great Blue Heron
- Great Egret
- Great Horned Owl
- Northern Cardinal
- Northern Flicker
- Olive-sided Flycatcher
- Orange-crowned Warbler
- Purple Finch
- Red-tailed Hawk
- Red-winged Blackbird
- Ruby-crowned Kinglet
- Rusty Blackbird
- Sharp-shinned Hawk
- Song Sparrow
- Spotted Sandpiper
- Turkey Vulture
- White-throated Sparrow
- Yellow-breasted Chat
- Yellow-crowned Night-heron
- 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)
- Chase Prairie at low water (5178699859), Stacy Shelton / U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service habitat picture
Habitat classes are filed under these habitat types by reviewed matches; descriptions are short glosses.

















































