Northern Coastal Plain Beech - Mixed Hardwood Floodplain Forest - CEGL006493

Shumard oak (Quercus shumardii, foreground) is an important overstory tree in the Northern Coastal Plain Beech - Mixed Hardwood Floodplain Forest, along with swamp chestnut oak (Quercus michauxii), bitternut hickory (Carya cordiformis), beech (Fagus grandifolia), and sweetgum (Liquidambar styraciflua).  The herb layer of this stand on the Pamunkey River in Hanover County is dominated by Virginia waterleaf (Hydrophyllum virginianum), wild ginger (Asarum canadense), and other nutrient-demanding herbs.