| COUNTY: | Davidson, Wilson | ACREAGE: | 122 |
| 7.5' QUADRANGLE: | LaVergne | OWNERSHIP: | State of Tennessee |
| PHYSIOGRAPHIC PROVINCE: | Central Basin | YEAR DESIGNATED: | 1995 |
DESCRIPTION: |
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Couchville
Cedar Glade is a 122-acre natural area in Davidson and Wilson Counties
and is contiguous with the east boundary of Long Hunter State Park. Couchville
supports one of the largest known and best quality populations of the
federally endangered Tennessee coneflower (Echinacea tennesseensis).
Couchville also provides one of the finest examples of a glade-barrens
complex and protects many rare plant species. The glades are distributed
where limestone outcropping and shallow soils limit growth of perennial
plants and support annual species like leavenworthia, sporobolus, and
sedum. The barrens species, that also includes Tennessee coneflower, occur
where soils increase and grasses like little bluestem and side oats grama
become dominant. The glades and barrens interface forming a complex. There
are small woodland patches surrounding the glade-barrens complex with
some shrubby vegetation present in the barrens. There are also some seasonal
wet areas where small sedge openings occur and where an ephemeral stream
habitat supports a small colony of the federally listed endangered leafy
prairie clover (Dalea foliosa).
Another interesting habitat occurs along the west boundary of Couchville adjacent to Long Hunter State Park. This area supports a mature oak-hickory forest of which includes large shagbark hickories and impressive large oaks such as chinkapin, Shumard's, white, and post oak. The forest is in a karst area where there are sink depressions and limestone formations that support a solid layer of moss, sedum, shooting star, and columbine. This feature appears as a natural rock garden when conditions are moist in the spring.
The protection of Couchville began in 1994 with an initiative by The Nature Conservancy (TNC) of Tennessee to acquire 43 acres through corporate sponsorship provided by American Airlines, Cracker Barrel, and Bell South. The State acquired this property from TNC and designated it as a state natural area in 1995. Additional acreage has been obtained by the State since 1994 including land to protect more Tennessee coneflower through grant assistance from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
SITE MANAGEMENT:
Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation (TDEC), Bureau of State Parks, Long Hunter State Park, 2910 Hobson Pike, Hermitage, TN 37076 phone (615) 885-2422; TDEC, Division of Natural Areas, 401 Church Street, 7th Floor L&C Annex, Nashville, TN 37243 phone (615) 532-0431.
PUBLIC ACCESS:
Public access allowed; parking and hiking trails are provided.
DIRECTIONS:
From I-40 exit on Highway 171 and go south on Mount Juliet Rd. for about six miles then bear left onto South Mt Juliet Rd. The parking area is one half mile on the right. From I-24, exit at Old Hickory (southeast Nashville near Hickory Hollow Mall) and proceed east for approximately 12 miles. Turn right at South Mt Juliet Rd about one and one half miles past the Long Hunter State Park entrance. The parking area is one half mile on the right.
