Slippery elm, red oak, and ironwood. Spring ephemerals make up a large portion of the spring bloomers. Ephemerals appear, bloom, set seed, then die back before the canopy leaves are fully expanded. All have underground storage organs such as a corn, tuber, bulb or fleshy rhizome. Prevalent ephemeral species include troutlilies, Dutchman's breeches, squirrel corn, spring beauty, toothwort and false rue-anemone.
Several species have seeds, which are dispersed by animals.
Wild ginger, Dutchman's breeches, troutlily, bloodroot, and trillium attract ants with a sweet spot on their seed coats. Species such as mayapple, trout lily and waterleaf form large colonies through vegetative reproduction. A rich diversity of herbaceous plants carpets the forest floor. The patterns of shade and light influences the distribution of species in the understory. Shrubs and small trees are restricted to patches of light.