The New Jersey Pine Barrens, also known as the Pinelands or simply the Pines, is the largest remaining example of the Atlantic coastal pine barrens ecosystem, stretching across more than seven counties of New Jersey. Two other large, contiguous examples of this ecosystem remain in the northeastern United States: the Long Island Central Pine Barrens and the Massachusetts Coastal Pine Barrens. The name pine barrens refers to the area's sandy, acidic, nutrient-poor soil. Although European settlers could not cultivate their familiar crops there, the unique ecology of the Pine Barrens supports a diverse spectrum of plant life, including orchids and carnivorous plants. The area is also notable for its populations of rare pygmy pitch pines and other plant species that depend on the frequent fires of the Pine Barrens to reproduce. The sand that composes much of the area's soil is referred to by the locals as sugar sand.
New Jersey Pinelands National Reserve is a national reserve that encompasses the New Jersey Pine Barrens.
Heliopsis is a genus of herbaceous flowering plants in the family Asteraceae, native to dry prairies in North and South America. The sunflower-like composite flowerheads are usually yellow, up to 8 cm (3 in) in diameter, and are borne in summer. Species are commonly called ox-eye or oxeye.
Pycnopodia helianthoides, commonly known as the sunflower sea star, is a large sea star found in the northeast Pacific. The only species of its genus, it is among the largest sea stars in the world, with a maximum arm span of 1 m (3.3 ft). Adult sunflower sea stars usually have 16 to 24 limbs; their color can vary widely. They are predatory, feeding mostly on sea urchins, clams, snails, and other small invertebrates. Although the species had been widely distributed throughout the northeast Pacific, its population has rapidly declined since 2013. The sea star has been on IUCN list of endangered animals since 2021.
Tithonia is a genus of flowering plants in the tribe Heliantheae within the family Asteraceae.
Heliopsis helianthoides is a species of flowering plant in the family Asteraceae, known by the common names rough oxeye, smooth oxeye and false sunflower. It is native to eastern and central North America from Saskatchewan east to Newfoundland and south as far as Texas, New Mexico, and Georgia.
Acalypha ostryifolia, sometimes spelled ostryaefolia, is a plant in the family Euphorbiaceae and is commonly known as hophornbeam copperleaf, hornbeam copperleaf, or pineland threeseed mercury, is an annual herb of the copperleaf genus Acalypha. It is a native of North and Central America and is generally considered a weed.
Balduina uniflora is a North American species of plants in the sunflower family. It is native to the southeastern United States. It is the type species of Genus Balduina.
Balduina angustifolia, the coastal plain honeycombhead, is a North American species of plants in the sunflower family. It is native to the southeastern United States.
Bigelowia nudata, the pineland rayless goldenrod, is a species of North American flowering plant in the family Asteraceae. It is native to the coastal plain of the southeastern United States.
Heliopsis gracilis is a North American species of flowering plant in the family Asteraceae, known by the common names smooth oxeye and pinewoods oxeye. It is native to the southeastern and south-central United States from eastern Texas to South Carolina.
Heliopsis parvifolia is a North American species of flowering plant in the family Asteraceae, known by the common name mountain oxeye.
Verbesina helianthoides, commonly called yellow crownbeard or gravelweed, is a species of flowering plant in the family Asteraceae. It is native to the United States, where it is primarily found in the Upper South and South Central areas. Its natural habitat is in communities that receive ample sunlight, such as open woodlands, prairies, and glades.
Hypericum suffruticosum, known as pineland St. John's-wort, is a species of flowering plant in the St. John's wort family, Hypericaceae. It is native to the Southeastern United States.
Hypericum tetrapetalum, the fourpetal St. Johnswort, is a species of flowering plant in the St. John's wort family, Hypericaceae. It is found in the Southeastern United States and Cuba. It was first described by Jean-Baptiste Lamarck in 1797.
Pinguicula caerulea, commonly referred to as blue butterwort, blueflower butterwort, or violet butterwort, is a flowering plant species in the carnivorous butterwort (Pinguicula) genus and bladderwort family (Lentibulariaceae). It is a perennial dicot. It grows in moist sandy pineland habitat in the south-east USA. Caerulus is Latin for from the sky or sea and refers to the color of the flowers.
Pinguicula pumila, commonly known as the small butterwort or dwarf butterwort is a small species of carnivorous plant in the genus Pinguicula. It is native to the southeastern United States, where it grows in habitats where soil is poor in nutrition.
Agalinis divaricata is a flowering plant species in the genus Agalinis. It is commonly known as pineland false foxglove. A dicot, it grows in parts of Florida, Georgia and Alabama. It is in the Orobanchaceae (broomrape) family. It grows in dry longleaf pine forests and savannahs. The genus is hemiparasitic.
Polansia tenuifolia is a species of flowering plant in the family Cleomaceae. It grows in Florida. It is known by the common names pineland catchfly and slender-leaf clammyweed. It is synonymous with Aldenella tenuifolia, Cleome aldanella, Cleome tenuifolia, and Jacksonia tenuifolia. It is an annual.
Physalis walteri, commonly known as Walter's groundcherry or dune groundcherry, is a species of flowering plant. Its native distribution is Alabama, Florida, Georgia and Virginia in the United States as well as Northeast Mexico. Its habitat is pinelands and open coastal areas.
