Bayhead

[1][2] Baygall swamps are most often found in the low lying margins of floodplains and bottomlands with little or poor drainage to the main creek, bayou, or river channel.

[1] Baygalls are relatively shallow wetlands, ranging from wet and saturated soils and leaf litter, to a few inches of stagnate or very slowly moving water, although some may occasionally be deeper depending on topography and rainfall.

[1][2][3] Occasionally, larger and deeper baygalls may have open water at the center with floating vegetation such as the fragrant water-lily (Nymphaea odorata).

Over-story trees associated with baygalls include baldcypress (Taxodium distichum), swamp tupelo or swamp blackgum (Nyssa biflora), red maple (Acer rubrum), green ash (Fraxinus pennsylvanica), laurel oak (Quercus laurifolia), water oak (Quercus nigra), sweetgum (Liquidambar styraciflua), and sweetbay (Magnolia virginiana).

[1][2][3][4] Understory species include smooth or hazel alder (Alnus serrulata), swamp titi or leatherwood (Cyrilla racemiflora), sweet gallberry (Ilex coriacea), American holly (Ilex opaca), Virginia willow or sweetspire (Itea virginica), wax-myrtle (Morella cerifera), red bay (Persea borbonia), swamp redbay (Persea palustris), bamboo-vine (Smilax laurifolia), poison sumac (Toxicodendron vernix), possum-haw viburnum (Viburnum nudum), muscadine grape (Vitis rotundifolia).