Habitat in West Virginia
Mountain balds
Treeless grassy or shrubby summits and ridges in the high mountains. Schafale
- Plants
- 65
- Birds
- 67
Plants
Plants that grow wild in this habitat in West Virginia. Not a planting list.
Most characteristic plants of this habitat 65
Natives first, plants found in fewer other habitats first.
- Mountain Highbush BlueberryVaccinium simulatum
- Mountain AndromedaPieris floribunda
- Atlantic GoldenrodSolidago arguta var. caroliniana
- Smooth BlackberryRubus canadensis
- Southern Mountain CranberryVaccinium erythrocarpum
- Catawba RhododendronRhododendron catawbiense
- Northern Roughleaf GoldenrodSolidago patula
- Cumberland AzaleaRhododendron cumberlandense
- Flame AzaleaRhododendron calendulaceum
- Pale SedgeCarex pallescens
- Heller's Blazing-starLiatris helleri
- Filmy AngelicaAngelica triquinata
- Appalachian GentianGentiana austromontana
- Eastern TeaberryGaultheria procumbens
- Wood AnemoneAnemone quinquefolia
- Wavy HairgrassAvenella flexuosa
- Narrow Triangle MoonwortBotrychium lanceolatum var. angustisegmentum
- MinniebushMenziesia pilosa
- Prickly GooseberryRibes cynosbati
- Northern MaleberryLyonia ligustrina var. ligustrina
- American Mountain-ashSorbus americana
- Crested SedgeCarex cristatella
- Flexuous White-edge SedgeCarex debilis var. rudgei
- Thinleaf Mountain-mintPycnanthemum montanum
- Eastern BrackenPteridium aquilinum var. latiusculum
- Flattened OatgrassDanthonia compressa
- Partridge-berryMitchella repens
- Blue Ground-cedarDiphasiastrum tristachyum
- Leathery GrapefernBotrychium multifidum
- Pennsylvania Ground-pineDendrolycopodium hickeyi
- Running ClubmossLycopodium clavatum
- Tree Ground-pineDendrolycopodium dendroideum
- Eastern TurkeybeardXerophyllum asphodeloides
- Narrowleaf Cow-wheatMelampyrum lineare
- Northern Highbush BlueberryVaccinium corymbosum
- Slender GoldenrodSolidago erecta
- Black ChokeberryAronia melanocarpa
- Smooth AzaleaRhododendron arborescens
- Witherod ViburnumViburnum nudum var. cassinoides
- Spotted Joe Pye WeedEutrochium maculatum var. maculatum
- Wild StrawberryFragaria virginiana
- Allegheny ServiceberryAmelanchier laevis
- Blue Ridge St. John's-wortHypericum mitchellianum
- Mountain Sweet-pepperbushClethra acuminata
- Dense Blazing-starLiatris spicata
- Bluejoint; Canada Reed GrassCalamagrostis canadensis var. canadensis
- Hoary FrostweedCrocanthemum bicknellii
- Eastern Feather BellsStenanthium gramineum var. gramineum
Wildlife
Animals whose habitat model includes this habitat in West Virginia. Shared habitat, not food.
Most characteristic birds of this habitat 0
Near water in this habitat 5
These use it only close to water, such as stream banks for nesting.
- Canada GooseBranta canadensis
- Northern Rough-winged SwallowStelgidopteryx serripennis
- Rusty BlackbirdEuphagus carolinus
- Bank SwallowRiparia riparia
- VeeryCatharus fuscescens
Widespread birds also seen here (32)
Found in many habitats here, so not listed above.
- Alder Flycatcher
- American Crow
- American Goldfinch
- American Kestrel
- American Robin
- Blue Grosbeak
- Blue Jay
- Chimney Swift
- Chipping Sparrow
- Common Nighthawk
- Common Raven
- Cooper's Hawk
- Dark-eyed Junco
- Eastern Kingbird
- Eastern Towhee
- European Starling
- Fox Sparrow
- Great Crested Flycatcher
- Great Horned Owl
- Least Flycatcher
- Northern Cardinal
- Northern Flicker
- Northern Mockingbird
- Purple Finch
- Red-tailed Hawk
- Ruby-crowned Kinglet
- Sharp-shinned Hawk
- Spotted Sandpiper
- Turkey Vulture
- Wild Turkey
- 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)
Habitat classes are filed under these habitat types by reviewed matches; descriptions are short glosses.



































