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.
- Swamp JessamineGelsemium rankinii
- Brazilian WatermealWolffia brasiliensis
- Colombian WatermealWolffia columbiana
- American Golden-saxifrageChrysosplenium americanum
- Dragon's-mouthArethusa bulbosa
- Fivelobe CucumberCayaponia quinqueloba
- Green-fly OrchidEpidendrum conopseum
- Robin-runawayDalibarda repens
- Roundfruit Hedge-hyssopGratiola virginiana
- White Arrow-arumPeltandra sagittifolia
- Smallflower BlueberryVaccinium virgatum
- Hoary AzaleaRhododendron canescens
- Purple ChokeberryAronia prunifolia
- Devil's BeggarticksBidens frondosa
- Common BonesetEupatorium perfoliatum
- Coastal Plain Joe-pye-weedEutrochium dubium
- Southern ArrowwoodViburnum dentatum
- ButterweedPackera glabella
- Small-flower ThoroughwortEupatorium semiserratum
- Swamp SmartweedPersicaria hydropiperoides
- Dotted SmartweedPersicaria punctata
- American Fly-honeysuckleLonicera canadensis
- Shining FetterbushLyonia lucida
- Swamp RedbayTamala palustris
- Laurel GreenbrierSmilax laurifolia
- Buckthorn BumeliaSideroxylon lycioides
- Pale St. John's-wortHypericum ellipticum
- Virginia Marsh St. John's-wortTriadenum virginicum
- Coastal Carrion-flowerSmilax pseudochina
- Aquatic MilkweedAsclepias perennis
- Fewflower MilkweedAsclepias lanceolata
- Northern SpicebushLindera benzoin
- Allegheny SedgeCarex allegheniensis
- Cypress-knee SedgeCarex decomposita
- False Hop SedgeCarex lupuliformis
- Godfrey's SedgeCarex godfreyi
- Golden SedgeCarex lutea
- Low Woodland SedgeCarex socialis
- Smooth-sheath SedgeCarex laevivaginata
- Woolly SedgeCarex pellita
- Hairy SeedboxLudwigia pilosa
- Marsh SeedboxLudwigia palustris
- Weatherby's ArrowheadSagittaria weatherbiana
- Wingleaf Primrose-willowLudwigia decurrens
- Shreve's IrisIris shrevei
- Climbing HydrangeaHydrangea barbara
- Yellow Water-buttercupRanunculus flabellaris
- Roanoke WitchgrassDichanthelium roanokense
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.




























































