Habitat in North Carolina
Swamps
Forested wetlands with standing water much of the year, such as cypress and gum swamps. Schafale
- Plants
- 329
- Birds
- 144
Plants
Plants that grow wild in this habitat in North Carolina. Not a planting list.
Most characteristic plants of this habitat 329
Natives first, plants found in fewer other habitats first.
- Cattail SedgeCarex typhina
- Collins's SedgeCarex collinsii
- Giant SedgeCarex gigantea
- Gray's SedgeCarex grayi
- Hirsute SedgeCarex complanata
- Nodding SedgeCarex gynandra
- Shoreline SedgeCarex hyalinolepis
- Southern Long SedgeCarex lonchocarpa
- Squarrose SedgeCarex squarrosa
- Swamp-candlesLysimachia terrestris
- Mississippi ButtercupRanunculus laxicaulis
- Elegant WitchgrassDichanthelium mundum
- Florida DockRumex floridanus
- Streamhead LobeliaLobelia batsonii
- Coastal Sweet-pepperbushClethra alnifolia
- Southern CattailTypha domingensis
- Georgia LobeliaLobelia georgiana
- Cooley's Meadow-rueThalictrum cooleyi
- Swamp LoosestrifeDecodon verticillatus
- Long's BittercressCardamine longii
- Awned Mountain-mintPycnanthemum setosum
- Coastal Bog BentgrassAgrostis altissima
- Floating Marsh-pennywortHydrocotyle ranunculoides
- Looseflower Water-willowJusticia ovata
- Fragrant BeaksedgeRhynchospora odorata
- Mingled BeakrushRhynchospora mixta
- Short-bristle Horned BeaksedgeRhynchospora corniculata
- Pale False MannagrassTorreyochloa pallida
- Stalkless YellowcressRorippa sessiliflora
- Cuthbert's TurtleheadChelone cuthbertii
- Common DuckweedLemna minor
- Lesser DuckweedLemna aequinoctialis
- Little DuckweedLemna obscura
- Minute DuckweedLemna perpusilla
- Valdivia DuckweedLemna valdiviana
- Silky CamelliaStewartia malacodendron
- Small Green Wood OrchidPlatanthera clavellata
- Southern Wild-riceZizaniopsis miliacea
- Coastal DoghobbleLeucothoe axillaris
- Saltmarsh FingergrassEustachys glauca
- Grassleaf Ladies'-tressesSpiranthes praecox
- Greater DuckweedSpirodela polyrhiza
- Nodding Ladies'-tressesSpiranthes cernua
- Shade MudflowerMicranthemum umbrosum
- Spanish-mossTillandsia usneoides
- Carolina JessamineGelsemium sempervirens
- Curtiss's Star-grassHypoxis curtissii
- Coastal Rose-gentianSabatia calycina
Wildlife
Animals whose habitat model includes this habitat in North Carolina. Shared habitat, not food.
Most characteristic birds of this habitat 70
Ranked by how much of their habitat model this habitat is.
- Wood DuckAix sponsa
- American WoodcockScolopax minor
- Peregrine FalconFalco peregrinus
- Acadian FlycatcherEmpidonax virescens
- Alder FlycatcherEmpidonax alnorum
- Cliff SwallowPetrochelidon pyrrhonota
- Tree SwallowTachycineta bicolor
- MallardAnas platyrhynchos
- Baltimore OrioleIcterus galbula
- Hooded WarblerWilsonia citrina
- Horned GrebePodiceps auritus
- VeeryCatharus fuscescens
- Barred OwlStrix varia
- Northern ShovelerAnas clypeata
- Rose-breasted GrosbeakPheucticus ludovicianus
- Snowy EgretEgretta thula
- Swamp SparrowMelospiza georgiana
- Wood ThrushHylocichla mustelina
- Wild TurkeyMeleagris gallopavo
- Least FlycatcherEmpidonax minimus
- Blue-headed VireoVireo solitarius
- Northern Saw-whet OwlAegolius acadicus
Widespread birds also seen here (74)
Found in many habitats here, so not listed above.
- American Black Duck
- American Crow
- American Goldfinch
- American Kestrel
- American Redstart
- American Robin
- Bald Eagle
- Belted Kingfisher
- Black Vulture
- Black-and-White Warbler
- Black-crowned Night-heron
- Blue Grosbeak
- Blue Jay
- Blue-gray Gnatcatcher
- Brown Creeper
- Canada Goose
- Carolina Chickadee
- Carolina Wren
- Cedar Waxwing
- Chestnut-sided Warbler
- Chimney Swift
- 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 Blue Heron
- Great Crested Flycatcher
- Great Egret
- Great Horned Owl
- Green Heron
- Hairy Woodpecker
- Hermit Thrush
- Hooded Merganser
- Mourning Dove
- Northern Cardinal
- Northern Flicker
- Northern Mockingbird
- Olive-sided Flycatcher
- Osprey
- Pileated Woodpecker
- Purple Finch
- Red-bellied Woodpecker
- Red-shouldered Hawk
- Red-tailed Hawk
- Red-winged Blackbird
- Ruby-crowned Kinglet
- Ruby-throated Hummingbird
- Rusty Blackbird
- 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-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)
- Scene cypress swamp Roanoke River NWR Kristie Gianopulos (31), Kristie Gianopulos / NC Wetlands (ncwetlands.org) habitat picture
Habitat classes are filed under these habitat types by reviewed matches; descriptions are short glosses.






















































