Common Forest Types in Massachusetts

For such a small state, Massachusetts has a surprising diversity of forests. Not only are all of the Natural Forest Vegetation Zones for New England found in Massachusetts, but there are a number of rare forest communities that have been identified here as well. Within the vegetation zones defined by the Society of American Foresters, there are many different mixtures of forests, reflecting the soils, topography, landscape history and other factors affecting individual sites.

The Natural Forest Vegetation Zones occurring in Massachusetts are:

Spruce-Fir-Northern Hardwoods

This zone occurs mostly on high elevation sites in northern Berkshire and western Franklin and Hampshire counties and is characterized by the presence of red spruce and balsam fir, either in pure stands or in mixtures with northern hardwoods including beech, yellow and white birch, aspen, and red and sugar maples.

Northern Hardwoods-Hemlock-White Pine

This zone occurs throughout the hilltowns of western Hampden, Hampshire and Franklin counties, in Berkshire County, and in isolated pockets in northern Worcester County. It is characterized by more productive soils and climate than the Spruce-Fir zone. Beech, sugar and red maples, and yellow birch are the dominant hardwoods, with lesser amounts of ash, cherry, paper and black birch, elm, basswood, and red oak. Hemlock and white pine are the primary softwoods.

Transition Hardwoods-White Pine-Hemlock

This zone, which covers much of Worcester and Franklin counties, as well as portions of Berkshire, Hampden, Hampshire and Norfolk counties, is named because both northern hardwoods and central hardwoods such as oaks and hickories mix here. White pine is found on abandoned fields and sandy sites and hemlock/northern hardwood mixtures on lower slopes, with central hardwoods, white birch and white pine on the hilltops.

Central Hardwoods-Hemlock-White Pine

This zone covers much of eastern Massachusetts, except southern Plymouth County and Cape Cod, as well as lower elevations in southern Worcester and southern Hampden counties. Oaks and hickories dominate, with red maple, chestnut oak, black birch and scarlet oak also common. Hemlock is the most common softwood but white pine predominates on sandy sites.

Central Hardwoods-Hemlock

This is the smallest forest zone found in Massachusetts, confined to areas south and southwest of Fall River in Bristol County. Oaks and hickories dominate, with hemlock scattered throughout. Abandoned fields have high levels of eastern red cedar. Sandy sites are dominated by black, scarlet, chestnut and scrub oaks, with some sugar maple, beech and red oak on lower slopes and stream bottoms.

Pitch Pine-Oak

These forests dominate southern Plymouth County, Cape Cod and the islands, but are also found in isolated sandy soils in Franklin, Hampden and Worcester counties. Pitch pine is the dominant species on nutrient poor soils, while scrub oak and white pine occur on better soils.

Special Forest Communities

Massachusetts is host to a number of special forest communities. Some of them include:

Red Maple Swamps

Red maple swamps occur throughout the state in all the forested zones.


Flood Plain Forests

Along rivers and streams that flood regularly, special forests that are adapted to periodic flooding develop. This forests generally include elms, willows, silver maples, sycamores, green ash, box elder and cottonwood, and occasionally black gums. The best examples of these forests are found along the Connecticut, Housatonic, and Merrimack Rivers, but smaller examples may be found along smaller streams.

White Cedar Swamps

These wooded wetlands are dominated by a canopy of Atlantic white cedar and red maple, although hemlock, white pine and yellow birch are common. A dense shrub layer may include swamp azalea, highbush blueberry, and pepperbush. White cedar swamps are most commonly found in southern and southeastern Massachusetts, although scattered examples may be found in northeastern and central Massachusetts.

Rich Mesic Forests

These consist of large hardwood species, including sugar maple, white ash, basswood, yellow birch, beech, and red oak, on nutrient-rich, moist sites with canopies 60 feet high or more. Hophornbeam and dogwood often grow under the canopy species. Such forests are found in each of the four western counties.