CHESTNUT OAK FOREST
This hardwood forest that occurs on the coastal plain is situated on well-drained sites. The
canopy is limited to two or three oak species and red maples. Historically, the American
chestnut thrived in these habitats until the chestnut blight decimated the populations. American
chestnut sprouts can still be found in the understory today. The understory will consist of
ericaceous shrubs such as black huckleberry (Gaylussacia baccata) and blueberry (Vaccinium
pallidum).
Examples Include: Van Cortlandt Park (BX), Forest Park (QU), Deere Park (SI).
Recommended Plants:
Ferns
Asplenium platyneuron Ebony Spleenwort
Osmunda claytoniana Interrupted fern
Thelypteris novaboracensis New York fern
Graminoids
Carex pensylvanica Pennsylvania sedge
Carex swanii Swan‟s sedge
Forbs
Eurybia divaricata White wood aster
Prenanthes trifoliata Gall-of-the-Earth
Shrubs
Gaylussacia baccata Black huckleberry
Hamamelis virginiana Witch hazel
Kalmia latifolia Mountain laurel
Morella pensylvanica Northern bayberry
Rhododendron periclymenoides PInkster azalea
Vaccinium corymbosum Highbush blueberry
Vaccinium pallidum Early low blueberry
Vaccinium stamineum Deerberry
Viburnum acerifolium Maple-leaved viburnum
Trees
Liriodendron tulipifera Tulip poplar
Prunus serotina Black cherry
Quercus alba White oak
Quercus prinus Chestnut oak
Quercus rubra Red oak
Quercus velutina Black oak
Sassafras albidum Sassafras