Habitat in North Carolina
Mountain balds
Treeless grassy or shrubby summits and ridges in the high mountains. Schafale
- Plants
- 76
- Birds
- 64

More pictures



Plants
Plants that grow wild in this habitat in North Carolina. Not a planting list.
Most characteristic plants of this habitat 76
Natives first, plants found in fewer other habitats first.
- Mountain Highbush BlueberryVaccinium simulatum
- Mountain AndromedaPieris floribunda
- Smooth BlackberryRubus canadensis
- Southern Mountain CranberryVaccinium erythrocarpum
- Atlantic GoldenrodSolidago vaseyi
- Catawba RhododendronRhododendron catawbiense
- Great Smoky Mountains RhododendronRhododendron smokianum
- Cumberland AzaleaRhododendron cumberlandense
- Flame AzaleaRhododendron calendulaceum
- Northern Roughleaf GoldenrodSolidago patula
- Schweinitz's RagwortPackera schweinitziana
- Balsam Mountain HawthornCrataegus x oreophila
- Heller's Blazing-starLiatris helleri
- Cylindrical Rattlesnake-rootNabalus cylindricus
- Roan Mountain Rattlesnake-rootNabalus roanensis
- Roan Mountain BluetHoustonia montana
- Eastern TeaberryGaultheria procumbens
- Appalachian GentianGentiana austromontana
- Wood AnemoneAnemone quinquefolia
- Filmy AngelicaAngelica triquinata
- Spreading AvensGeum radiatum
- Narrow Triangle MoonwortBotrychium angustisegmentum
- MinniebushRhododendron pilosum
- Pinkshell AzaleaRhododendron vaseyi
- Purple ChokeberryAronia prunifolia
- Prickly GooseberryRibes cynosbati
- Mountain St. John's-wortHypericum graveolens
- Eastern YarrowAchillea gracilis
- Green AlderAlnus crispa
- American Mountain-ashSorbus americana
- Crested SedgeCarex cristatella
- Flexuous White-edge SedgeCarex flexuosa
- Thinleaf Mountain-mintPycnanthemum montanum
- Eastern BrackenPteridium latiusculum
- Flattened OatgrassDanthonia compressa
- Northern Lady FernAthyrium angustum
- Wavy HairgrassAvenella flexuosa
- Blue Ground-cedarDiphasiastrum tristachyum
- Leathery GrapefernSceptridium multifidum
- Pennsylvania Ground-pineDendrolycopodium hickeyi
- Running ClubmossLycopodium clavatum
- Tree Ground-pineDendrolycopodium dendroideum
- Eastern TurkeybeardXerophyllum asphodeloides
- Narrowleaf Cow-wheatMelampyrum lineare
- Carolina RhododendronRhododendron carolinianum
- Smooth AzaleaRhododendron arborescens
- Clustered GoldenrodSolidago glomerata
- Lanceleaf GoldenrodSolidago lancifolia
Wildlife
Animals whose habitat model includes this habitat in North Carolina. Shared habitat, not food.
Most characteristic birds of this habitat 22
Ranked by how much of their habitat model this habitat is.
- Grasshopper SparrowAmmodramus savannarum
- BobolinkDolichonyx oryzivorus
- Horned LarkEremophila alpestris
- KilldeerCharadrius vociferus
- Long-eared OwlAsio otus
- Loggerhead ShrikeLanius ludovicianus
- Canada WarblerWilsonia canadensis
- White-crowned SparrowZonotrichia leucophrys
- Short-eared OwlAsio flammeus
- Prairie WarblerDendroica discolor
- American Tree SparrowSpizella arborea
- Orchard OrioleIcterus spurius
- Vesper SparrowPooecetes gramineus
- Peregrine FalconFalco peregrinus
- Alder FlycatcherEmpidonax alnorum
- Indigo BuntingPasserina cyanea
- Eastern PhoebeSayornis phoebe
- Rose-breasted GrosbeakPheucticus ludovicianus
- Wood ThrushHylocichla mustelina
- Wild TurkeyMeleagris gallopavo
- Least FlycatcherEmpidonax minimus
- Savannah SparrowPasserculus sandwichensis
Near water in this habitat 2
These use it only close to water, such as stream banks for nesting.
- Northern Rough-winged SwallowStelgidopteryx serripennis
- VeeryCatharus fuscescens
Widespread birds also seen here (40)
Found in many habitats here, so not listed above.
- American Crow
- American Goldfinch
- American Kestrel
- American Robin
- Bank Swallow
- Blue Grosbeak
- Blue Jay
- Brown Thrasher
- Canada Goose
- Chestnut-sided Warbler
- Chimney Swift
- Chipping Sparrow
- Common Nighthawk
- Common Raven
- Cooper's Hawk
- Dark-eyed Junco
- Eastern Kingbird
- Eastern Towhee
- Eurasian Collared-dove
- European Starling
- Fox Sparrow
- Gray Catbird
- Great Crested Flycatcher
- Great Horned Owl
- Northern Cardinal
- Northern Flicker
- Northern Mockingbird
- Olive-sided Flycatcher
- Orange-crowned Warbler
- Purple Finch
- Red-tailed Hawk
- Ruby-crowned Kinglet
- Rusty Blackbird
- Sharp-shinned Hawk
- Spotted Sandpiper
- Turkey Vulture
- White-eyed Vireo
- White-throated Sparrow
- 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)
- Andrews Bald, Forney Ridge Trail, July 2020, Andrea Walton / Great Smoky Mountains National Park habitat picture
- Round Bald, Alan M. Cressler / U.S. Geological Survey habitat picture
- Grass bald and heath bald mosaic at Round Bald, Alan M. Cressler / U.S. Geological Survey habitat picture
- Grass bald at Round Bald, Alan M. Cressler / U.S. Geological Survey habitat picture
Habitat classes are filed under these habitat types by reviewed matches; descriptions are short glosses.

















































