Habitat in North Carolina
Salt and brackish marshes
Coastal marshes flooded by salty or brackish tides. Schafale
- Plants
- 52
- Birds
- 123
Plants
Plants that grow wild in this habitat in North Carolina. Not a planting list.
Most characteristic plants of this habitat 52
Natives first, plants found in fewer other habitats first.
- Perennial Saltmarsh AsterSymphyotrichum tenuifolium
- Wand LoosestrifeLythrum lineare
- Sea OxeyeBorrichia frutescens
- Olney's ThreesquareSchoenoplectus americanus
- Saltmarsh SpikerushEleocharis uniglumis
- Perennial GlasswortSalicornia ambigua
- Weakley's Flat-top GoldenrodEuthamia weakleyi
- Smallfruit BeggarticksBidens mitis
- Saltmarsh Morning-gloryIpomoea sagittata
- Bushy KnotweedPolygonum prolificum
- Virginia PlantainPlantago virginica
- Seashore CrowngrassPaspalum vaginatum
- Southern Red CedarJuniperus silicicola
- Northeastern BindweedConvolvulus americanus
- Ivy-leaved CrowfootRanunculus hederaceus
- Marsh EryngoEryngium aquaticum
- Salt-marsh Wild-ryeElymus halophilus
- Saltmarsh BulrushBolboschoenus robustus
- SawgrassCladium jamaicense
- Sensitive JointvetchAeschynomene virginica
- Long-awned SprangletopDiplachne maritima
- Salt-marsh PinkSabatia stellaris
- Eastern GrasswortLilaeopsis chinensis
- Saltmarsh SandspurrySpergularia marina
- Groundsel-treeBaccharis halimifolia
- Common WaxmyrtleMorella cerifera
- Fewflower MilkweedAsclepias lanceolata
- Marsh Straw SedgeCarex hormathodes
- Weatherby's ArrowheadSagittaria weatherbiana
- Four-angle FlatsedgeCyperus tetragonus
- Dwarf SpikerushEleocharis parvula
- White SpikerushEleocharis albida
- Seashore DropseedSporobolus virginicus
- Shoreline Sea-purslaneSesuvium portulacastrum
- Slender Sea-purslaneSesuvium maritimum
- Dune HairgrassMuhlenbergia sericea
- Hemlock Water-parsnipSium suave
- Clammy Hedge-hyssopGratiola neglecta
- Southern HorseweedErigeron pusillus
- Elliott's LovegrassEragrostis elliottii
- Gulf Coast SpikerushEleocharis cellulosa
- Roughfruit ScaleseedSpermolepis divaricata
- Twig-rushCladium mariscoides
- Curved Sickle-grassParapholis incurva
- Smooth FlatsedgeCyperus laevigatus
- Annual Rabbit's-foot GrassPolypogon monspeliensis
- Seaside PetuniaCalibrachoa parviflora
- Carolina Bristle-mallowModiola caroliniana
Wildlife
Animals whose habitat model includes this habitat in North Carolina. Shared habitat, not food.
Most characteristic birds of this habitat 93
Ranked by how much of their habitat model this habitat is.
- Surf ScoterMelanitta perspicillata
- Glossy IbisPlegadis falcinellus
- Great CormorantPhalacrocorax carbo
- Greater YellowlegsTringa melanoleuca
- King RailRallus elegans
- MerlinFalco columbarius
- Ring-billed GullLarus delawarensis
- Ruddy DuckOxyura jamaicensis
- Semipalmated PloverCharadrius semipalmatus
- Stilt SandpiperCalidris himantopus
- Tundra SwanCygnus columbianus
- DunlinCalidris alpina
- Lesser ScaupAythya affinis
- Little Blue HeronEgretta caerulea
- Northern PintailAnas acuta
- Palm WarblerDendroica palmarum
- Short-eared OwlAsio flammeus
- Wood StorkMycteria americana
- American CootFulica americana
- GadwallAnas strepera
- Least BitternIxobrychus exilis
- Lesser Black-backed GullLarus fuscus
- American PipitAnthus rubescens
- Boat-tailed GrackleQuiscalus major
- CanvasbackAythya valisineria
- Henslow's SparrowAmmodramus henslowii
- Least SandpiperCalidris minutilla
- Painted BuntingPasserina ciris
- Ring-necked DuckAythya collaris
- Virginia RailRallus limicola
- White IbisEudocimus albus
- Peregrine FalconFalco peregrinus
- Savannah SparrowPasserculus sandwichensis
- Northern Rough-winged SwallowStelgidopteryx serripennis
- Ring-necked PheasantPhasianus colchicus
- Tree SwallowTachycineta bicolor
- Horned GrebePodiceps auritus
- Northern ShovelerAnas clypeata
- Snowy EgretEgretta thula
- Swamp SparrowMelospiza georgiana
- Common TernSterna hirundo
- American BitternBotaurus lentiginosus
- Blue-headed VireoVireo solitarius
- Marsh WrenCistothorus palustris
- SoraPorzana carolina
Widespread birds also seen here (30)
Found in many habitats here, so not listed above.
- American Black Duck
- American Crow
- Bald Eagle
- Bank Swallow
- Belted Kingfisher
- Black-crowned Night-heron
- Canada Goose
- Chimney Swift
- Common Grackle
- Common Nighthawk
- Common Yellowthroat
- Cooper's Hawk
- European Starling
- Fish Crow
- Great Blue Heron
- Great Egret
- Great Horned Owl
- Green Heron
- Hooded Merganser
- Northern Cardinal
- Osprey
- Red-tailed Hawk
- Red-winged Blackbird
- Sharp-shinned Hawk
- Song Sparrow
- Spotted Sandpiper
- Turkey Vulture
- White-throated Sparrow
- Yellow-breasted Chat
- Yellow-crowned Night-heron
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)
- Fort Fisher brackish marsh and woodland edge, ncwetlands.org habitat picture
Habitat classes are filed under these habitat types by reviewed matches; descriptions are short glosses.






































































