Taylor Hollow, A Nature Preserve In Tennessee, Will Be In Full Bloom Soon And It’s An Extraordinary Sight To See
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Meghan Kraft
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Tennessee is known for its impressive state park system, but there are a few privately-owned areas that seek to conserve nature in its purest sense. The global Nature Conservancy purchased a parcel of land on the northeastern edge of the Highland Rim and named it the Taylor Hollow State Natural Area. As one of the first nature preserves purchased in Tennessee, the Westmoreland natural space has become one of the most beautiful, untouched areas in the state.
Taylor Hollow is considered something of an ecological gem in the American south. The area is privately owned and maintained, so you won’t find the public tromping along its lushly outfitted trail routes or through its delicate ecosystem. No, instead the Nature Conservancy seeks to maintain the beautiful, historic mesophytic forest system.
A "mesophytic" forest system refers to a moderately moist area, and the valley Taylor Hollow sits in is cut into the earth between two steep slopes. There are 380 plant species as well as a myriad of wildlife protected in the hollow. The soil is rich in both magnesium and calcium due to eroded limestone, so wildflowers burst forth come springtime.
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You will find all sorts of wildflowers in Taylor Hollow, but the Blue-Eyed Mary is perhaps one of the most iconic. It creates a thick blue swathe on the forest flower when they burst into bloom.
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Taylor Hollow is considered one of the last undisturbed areas in Tennessee. The old-growth forest is thick with small animals, and you will even find a few cave dwellers tucked away in the hollow’s rocky outcroppings and the cave system that exists below the forest floor.
The spring wildflowers peak in both March and April, but during the month of April you will also find a cloud of swallowtail butterflies. They emerge from the chrysalids in the springtime, after sleeping through the winter, and the sight of so many beautiful insects is almost unbelievable.
Have you ever heard of the Taylor Hollow State Natural Area? Although it is privately owned and closed to the public, you can ask for access. We recommend contacting the Tennessee Chapter of the Nature Conservancy if you have a serious request.
You can learn more about the extraordinary Taylor Hollow and its wildflower bloom on the official nature conservancy website.
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Taylor Hollow, Tennessee 37186, USA