Central Appalachian Low-Elevation Acidic Seepage Swamp - CEGL007853

Magnolia Swamp, which occupies a groundwater-saturated swale in the Shenandoah Valley part of Augusta County, is an exceptional acidic seepage swamp for the Appalachian region of Virginia.  While the community here is similar in most respects to other acidic seepage swamps in the region, the overwhelming abundance of sweetbay (Magnolia virginiana), a Coastal Plain disjunct, in the understory makes this stand unique.  The overstory is co-dominated by pitch pine (Pinus rigida) and red maple (Acer rubrum), while skunk cabbage (Symplocarpus foetidus) forms a nearly continuous herb cover during the first part of the growing season.