Sapelo Island Reserve, Georgia

Flora (Plant Life)

The upland maritime forest on the Sapelo Reserve is comprised of a mix of native hardwoods, such as live oak, red bay and southern magnolia timber stands of slash and loblolly pine. Much of the Sapelo Reserve's pine forest grows on areas once under cultivation in Sea Island cotton, sugar cane and other crops associated with the island's agricultural operations during the 1800's and the early 1900's. This secondary growth pine forest is comprised primarily of slash, longleaf and loblolly pine. The island's dunes are dominated by sea oats, which play a primary role in stabilizing the dune. Other dune plants include bayberry, dogfennel, bitter panic grass, broomsedge, wax myrtle and Spanish bayonet (Yucca).

About 90 percent of the reserve's marshland is covered by smooth cordgrass (Spartina alterniflora). Glasswort, saltwort, salt grasses and oxeye are other salt tolerant plants that exist in and around the marsh. In low salinity areas of the marsh, black needlerush grass becomes dominant. Other plants found commonly within the reserve include Spanish moss, resurrection fern, prickly pear, saw palmetto, sabal palmetto, yaupon holly, red cedar, smilax and sweet grass.