| Poor Mountain Natural Area Preserve | |
|---|---|
IUCN category V (protected landscape/seascape) | |
  Location within Virginia | |
| Location | Roanoke County, Virginia |
| Nearest city | Salem |
| Coordinates | 37°14′10″N 80°05′30″W / 37.2362°N 80.0917°W[1] |
| Area | 1,404 acres (5.68 km2) |
| Governing body | Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation |
Poor Mountain Natural Area Preserve is a 1,404-acre (568 ha) Natural Area Preserve located on Poor Mountain in Roanoke County, Virginia. The preserve protects the world's largest population of piratebush (Buckleya distichophylla), a globally rare parasitic shrub. The mountain derives its name from the fact that the soils on its slopes are poor, due to their base of metamorphosed sandstone bedrock.[2] The preserve's pine-oak/heath woodlands include Table Mountain pine, eastern hemlock, several species of oak, and shrubs including huckleberry, mountain laurel, and fetterbush.[3]
Poor Mountain Natural Area Preserve is owned and maintained by the Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation. The preserve is open to the public, with improvements including a small parking area and four miles (6.4 km) of trails.[3]
- ^ "Poor Mountain". ProtectedPlanet. United Nations Environment Programme's World Conservation Monitoring Centre. Retrieved December 26, 2016.
- ^ "Poor Mountain Natural Area Preserve". Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation. Retrieved August 17, 2022.
- ^ a b "Poor Mountain Natural Area Preserve Fact Sheet" (PDF). Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation. Retrieved August 17, 2022.