The northeastern interior dry–mesic oak forest is a forest system found in

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, and

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. These forests cover large areas at low and middle elevations, typically on flat to gently rolling terrain.

Tree types

Common oaks are red oak (''

Quercus rubra ''Quercus rubra'', the northern red oak, is an oak tree in the red oak group (''Quercus'' section ''Lobatae''). It is a native of North America, in the eastern and central United States and southeast and south-central Canada. It has been intro ...

''), white oak (''

Quercus alba ''Quercus alba'', the white oak, is one of the preeminent hardwoods of eastern and central North America. It is a long-lived oak, native to eastern and central North America and found from Minnesota, Ontario, Quebec, and southern Maine south as ...

''), and black oak (''

Quercus velutina ''Quercus velutina'' (Latin 'velutina', "velvety") , the black oak, is a species of oak in the red oak group (''Quercus'' sect. ''Lobatae''), native and widespread in eastern and central North America. It is sometimes called the eastern black oak ...

''). Other trees include hickories (''

Carya Hickory is a common name for trees composing the genus ''Carya'', which includes 19 species accepted by ''Plants of the World Online''. Seven species are native to southeast Asia in China, Indochina, and northeastern India (Assam), and twelve ...

'' spp.), red maple (''

Acer rubrum ''Acer rubrum'', the red maple, also known as swamp maple, water maple, or soft maple, is one of the most common and widespread deciduous trees of eastern and central North America. The U.S. Forest Service recognizes it as the most abundant nati ...

''), sugar maple (''

Acer saccharum ''Acer saccharum'', the sugar maple, is a species of flowering plant in the soapberry and lychee family Sapindaceae. It is native to the hardwood forests of eastern Canada and the eastern United States. Sugar maple is best known for being the p ...

''), white ash (''

Fraxinus americana ''Fraxinus americana'', the white ash or American ash, is a fast-growing species of ash tree native to eastern and central North America. White ash trees are threatened by the invasive emerald ash borer. The tree is highly valued as lumber. ...

''), tulip tree (''

Liriodendron tulipifera ''Liriodendron tulipifera''—known as the tulip tree, American tulip tree, tulipwood, tuliptree, tulip poplar, whitewood, fiddletree, lynn-tree, hickory-poplar, and yellow-poplar—is the North American representative of the two-species genus ...

''), American beech (''

Fagus grandifolia Beech (genus ''Fagus'') is a genus of deciduous trees in the family Fagaceae, native to subtropical (accessory forest element) and temperate (as dominant element of mesophytic forests) Eurasia and North America. There are 14 accepted species i ...

''), black cherry (''

Prunus serotina ''Prunus serotina'', commonly called black cherry,World Economic Plants: A Standard Reference, Second Edition'. CRC Press; 19 April 2016. . p. 833–. wild black cherry, rum cherry, or mountain black cherry, is a deciduous tree or shrub in the r ...

''), black birch (''

Betula lenta ''Betula lenta'' (sweet birch, also known as black birch, cherry birch, mahogany birch, or spice birch) is a species of birch native to eastern North America. Description ''Betula lenta'' is a medium-sized deciduous tree reaching tall, except ...

''), black tupelo (''

Nyssa sylvatica ''Nyssa sylvatica'', commonly known as tupelo, black tupelo, black gum or sour gum, is a medium-sized deciduous tree native to eastern North America from the coastal Northeastern United States and southern Ontario south to central Florida and ea ...

''), and American elm (''

Ulmus americana ''Ulmus americana'', generally known as the American elm or, less commonly, as the white elm or water elm, is a species of elm native to eastern North America. The trees can live for several hundred years. It is a very Hardiness (plants), hardy ...

''). Flowering dogwood (''

Cornus florida ''Cornus florida'', the flowering dogwood, is a species of flowering plant, flowering tree in the family Cornaceae native to eastern North America and northern Mexico. An endemic population once spanned from southernmost coastal Maine south to n ...

'') is a common understory tree.

Shrubs

Common shrubs are maple-leaved viburnum (''

Viburnum acerifolium ''Viburnum acerifolium'', the mapleleaf viburnum, maple-leaved arrowwood or dockmackie, is a species of ''Viburnum'' native to eastern North America. Description It is a shrub growing to tall. The leaves are in opposite pairs, long and broad, ...

''), spicebush (''

Lindera benzoin ''Lindera benzoin'' (commonly called spicebush, common spicebush, northern spicebush, wild allspice, or Benjamin bush) is a shrub in the laurel family. It is native to eastern North America, growing in the understory in moist, rich woods. Desc ...

''), and witch hazel (''

Hamamelis virginiana ''Hamamelis virginiana'', known as witch-hazel, common witch-hazel, American witch-hazel and beadwood, is a species of flowering shrub native to eastern North America, from Nova Scotia west to Minnesota, and south to central Florida to eastern Te ...

''). In sandier or more acidic soils are mountain laurel (''

Kalmia latifolia ''Kalmia latifolia'', the mountain laurel, calico-bush, or spoonwood, is a flowering plant and one of the 10 species in the genus of Kalmia belonging to the heath(er) family Ericaceae. It is native to the eastern United States. Its range stretch ...

''), blueberry (''

Vaccinium pallidum ''Vaccinium pallidum'' is a species of flowering plant in the heath family known by the common names hillside blueberry, Blue Ridge blueberry, late lowbush blueberry, and early lowbush blueberry. It is native to central Canada and the central and ...

''), huckleberry (''

Gaylussacia baccata ''Gaylussacia baccata'', the black huckleberry, is a common huckleberry found throughout a wide area of eastern North America. Description ''Gaylussacia baccata'' is a shrub up to 150 cm (5 feet) tall, forming extensive colonies. Flowers ...

''), and swamp azalea ('' Rhododendron viscosum''). Mayapple (''

Podophyllum peltatum ''Podophyllum peltatum'' is a North American herbaceous perennial plant in the family Berberidaceae. Its common names are mayapple, American mandrake, wild mandrake, and ground lemon. Description Mayapples are woodland plants, typically growin ...

'') is a common herbaceous plant.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Northeastern interior dry-mesic oak forest Appalachian forests * * Plant communities of the Eastern United States Temperate broadleaf and mixed forests in the United States

Tree types

Shrubs

See also

References