Historic vegetation was dominated by open woodlands of longleaf pine (Pinus palustris) with an understory of wiregrass (Aristida stricta).

Pond cypress (Taxodium ascendens) dominates the canopy, which it shares with swamp tupelo (Nyssa biflora) and sweetgum (Liquidambar styraciflua).

On xeric sites, common species are sand live oak (Quercus geminata), longleaf pine (Pinus palustris), southern live oak (Quercus virginiana), wiregrass (Aristida stricta), and southern dawnflower (Stylisma humistrata).

These forests of evergreen and deciduous hardwood trees occur near the floodplains of spring-fed rivers with relatively constant flows.

Common trees include Atlantic white cedar (Chamaecyparis thyoides), elm (Ulmus americana), red maple (Acer rubrum), swamp laurel oak (Quercus laurifolia), southern live oak (Quercus virginiana), american sweetgum (Liquidambar styraciflua), sugarberry (Celtis laevigata), and cabbage palm (Sabal palmetto).

This forest is found in fire-sheltered locations surrounded by pine-dominated uplands, including slopes near rivers and sinkholes.

The related east Gulf coastal plain northern mesic hardwood slope forest occurs to the north and has more deciduous trees.

The vegetation mosaic includes a range of mostly herbaceous plant communities, varying based on water depth.

Meter-deep water supports emergent herbaceous perennials, typically in dense, monospecific stands; species include bulrush (Typha latifolia), pickerelweed (Pontederia cordata), and American lotus (Nelumbo lutea).

Shallow areas only submerged during wet season support more graminoid vegetation, including maidencane (Panicum hemitomon) and southern cutgrass (Leersia hexandra).

Soils can be mucky, loamy, or sandy, but they are generally above permeable subsoils that create standing water much of the year.

[17] Southern coastal plain nonriverine basin swamps occur in large, seasonally-flooded depressions away from rivers.

Sites are often forested by trees including bald cypress (Taxodium distichum), swamp tupelo (Nyssa biflora), evergreen shrubs, and hardwoods.

Typical trees include bald cypress (Taxodium distichum), water tupelo (Nyssa aquatica), and Atlantic white cedar (Chamaecyparis thyoides).

[19] Mature longleaf pine forests are important habitat for the vulnerable red-cockaded woodpecker (Picoides borealis) and gopher tortoise (Gopherus polyphemus).