Pine Heath

Hot springs

Pine-heath forests occupy extremely dry sites at low to moderate elevations. They often occur on the tops of steep ridges, on thin soils above rock outcrops, and on south- and west-facing slopes. They are dominated by pines and broad-leafed shrubs that are adapted to xeric conditions. Disturbance by fire likely plays a role in the establishment and maintenance of these communities. Pine-heath forests typically occur upslope from xeric oak-pine forests. These two community types overlap considerably in species composition, but pine-heath communities format the more xeric end of the moisture gradient. Pine heath forests are common along the Blue Ridge Escarpment in the Carolinas and along the south and western borders of the Blue Ridge Province in Tennessee and Georgia. They occur on the rim of the Linville George in North Carolina, on the summits of granitic domes such as Table Rock Mountain (SC) in the Carolinas and Georgia, and on sandstone ridges of the Great Smoky Mountains in eastern Tennessee.

Pine-heath forests are dominated by pine overstory consisting of Table Mountain, Virginia, and pitch pines. The heath understory includes shrubs of mountain laurel (Kalmia latifolia), blueberry (Vaccinium spp.), and huckleberry (Gaylussacia spp.). Ground cover may include galax (Galax urceolata), sedges (Carex spp.) and uncommon herbaceous plants such as turkey-beard (Xerophyllum asphodeloides). Table Mountain pine has serotinous cones that remain unopened until exposed to intense heat of a fire. Virginia pine, the common successional pine of the Piedmont, is part of the stable forest community of these sites. Rare deciduous species, such as witch-alder (Fothergilla major) and bear oak (Quercus ilicifolia), are associated with pine-heath and xeric oak-pine communities (Schafale and Weakley 1990). A few hardwood trees from the xeric oak-pine community may be present but seldom break into the coniferous canopy.

Representative tree species of pine-heath forests

• Table Mountain pine (Pinus pungens)
• Virginia pine (Pinus virginiana)
• White pine (Pinus strobus)
• Pitch pine (Pinus rigida)
• Red maple (Acer rubrum)
• Sourwood (Oxydendron arboreum)
• Scarlet oak (Quercus coccinea)
• Chestnut oak (Quercus montana)
• Black gum (Nyssa sylvatica)