Woodland Plants

Most woodland plants in our area are fire-dependent and adapted to a wide range of light and moisture conditions due to the influence of both fire and drought. Plants enveloped in shade may suddenly find themselves basking in the sun, post fire, until the trees and shrubs are once again tall enough to cast their shadows on the forest floor. In the absence of fire, prairie plants may be overtaken by expanding woodlands, biding time until the next fire (or wind storm) opens the canopy up.

Woodland sloughs will undergo periodic transitions from wetland to upland plant communities in response to extended dry weather cycles reverting back to wetlands when the rains return. During dry cycles, these sites may grow in with trees, which often succumb after three or more years of repeated flooding.

Species found primarily in woodlands are listed in the side-bar menu on the right. The picture menu below also includes shade-tolerant species that are commonly considered prairie plants.