Physiognomy and Structure: These are closed-canopy forests with dense and diverse shrub and herbaceous strata.

Floristics: These hardwood forests are dominated by Quercus alba, frequently with Carya tomentosa (= Carya alba). Other canopy trees that may be present include Carya ovata, Carya glabra, Carya illinoinensis, Liquidambar styraciflua, Liriodendron tulipifera, Pinus taeda, Quercus falcata, Quercus nigra, Quercus phellos, Quercus rubra, and Quercus velutina. One association may contain Chamaecyparis thyoides. The subcanopy may include Acer floridanum (= Acer barbatum), Cornus florida, Ilex opaca, Ostrya virginiana, and Oxydendrum arboreum. Shrubs may include Arundinaria gigantea, Asimina triloba, Clethra alnifolia, Gaylussacia frondosa, Hamamelis virginiana, Kalmia latifolia, Lyonia lucida, Symplocos tinctoria, and Vaccinium stamineum. Herbs may have low cover and may include Chasmanthium sessiliflorum, Chimaphila maculata, Cynoglossum virginianum, Mitchella repens, and others.

Dynamics:  In the Atlantic Coastal Plain, the sites where this vegetation occurs are somewhat protected from most natural fires by some combination of steeper topography, isolation from the spread of fire, and relatively limited flammability of the vegetation. This different fire regime serves to maintain the compositional distinctiveness relative to adjacent Pinus palustris-dominated stands. If fire does occur, it is likely to be low in intensity and have limited ecological effects. However, there is some evidence that this kind of vegetation has expanded into areas once occupied by Pinus palustris as fire has become less frequent or absent in parts of the landscape. If fire was more frequent, the predominant vegetation would shift toward more fire-tolerant southern pines, especially Pinus palustris. The characteristic and dominant trees are capable of living for several centuries, and these forests probably were present in the presettlement landscape as old-growth stands, with canopy dynamics dominated by gap-phase regeneration. Small to medium-sized canopy gaps created by wind are the primary natural disturbance at present, and probably were in the past as well. Fire likely created some small to medium-sized gaps in the past also, and likely caused all canopy gaps to persist longer. However, exposure to occasional fires and hurricanes in the coastal plain may create more frequent and larger canopy disturbances than more inland examples.