Mesic floodplain terraces are deciduous forests developed on alluvial terraces along rich, infrequently flooding (or flooding only for a very short period) rivers draining into Lake Superior. The dominant trees are usually sugar maple (Acer saccharum), basswood (Tilia americana), and sometimes ashes (Fraxinus spp.). There is a diverse spring ephemeral flora, which in Wisconsin includes many southern species at their northern range limits. By late spring, however, these may be overtopped by dense stands of ostrich fern (Matteuccia struthiopteris) and wood-nettle (Laportea canadensis).
