Vegetation

Vegetation

The Palmetto-Peartree Preserve is mostly forested with mature (+50 years old) pine, pine-hardwood, and swamp hardwood stands. Loblolly pine (Pinus taeda) is the dominant pine species. In mixed stands, oaks, maples, and other hardwood species grow among the pines. The swamp hardwood stands contain cypress and tupelo trees, which are adapted to grow in very wet soils and along shorelines. The Palmetto-Peartree Preserve also contains some marsh lands, which are low, wet areas dominated by grasses; the type of grass is influenced by surrounding waterways. Some marshes are freshwater, others are brackish, or slightly salty.

Beneath the forest's canopy of mature trees is an understory of small and younger trees. Most forest stands at the preserve have dense hardwood understories and midstories except where recent management activities have suppressed the undergrowth. These include saplings of the overstory trees, loblolly pine, red maple, sweet gum and swamp black gum. Below the understory is a shrub layer with bushes that grow several feet tall, including wax myrtle, sweet bay, red bay, loblolly bay, titi, fetterbush, sweet pepperbush and blueberry. Along the forest floor is an herb layer of vines, ferns and flowers. Many of these plants brighten the dense greenery of the forest with colorful blossoms from spring through fall.