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The Cove Forest

Cove forests are unique ecosystems found exclusively in North America, in the southern Appalachian Mountains of the United States. They are a special type of forest known as mixed deciduous, meaning that forest's trees lose their leaves in fall. Cove forests are restricted to mountain "coves," which are bowl-shaped valleys with very rich, fertile, damp soil. Many cove forests have streams wandering through part of the forest. The cove forests of the South exhibit the greatest plant and tree diversity of any forests in the United States.

The cove forests of South Carolina are restricted to the northwest portion of the state, extending from the north of Westminster to north of Greenville, Jones Gap State Park, Table Rock State Park, Oconee State Park, and Caesars Head State Park all contain cove forest communities. For more information, view the credits or find out how to plan a trip to a cove forest.

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PLEASE NOTE:

  • Adobe will stop updating and distributing the Flash Player at the end of 2020.
  • We plan to officially retire The Cove Forest - FLASH VERSION June 2020. 
  • All content from the Flash version has been extracted to HTML below.
Resource Type
Dutchman's Pipe | The Cove Forest

Photo

Grades

  • 6
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Dutchman's Pipe | The Cove Forest
Although it might sometimes look like a tangled shrub, the woody wine has large heart-shaped leaves and small flowers that look like an old-time smoking pipe, hence the common name. Toxins in the...
Maple Leaf Viburnum | The Cove Forest

Photo

Grades

  • 6
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Maple Leaf Viburnum | The Cove Forest
(Viburnum acerifolium) This small clump-forming shrub that has three-lobed leaves that resemble maple leaves, hence the common name. Maple-leaf viburnum has showy clusters of white flowers that give...
Spice Bush | The Cove Forest

Photo

Grades

  • 6
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Spice Bush | The Cove Forest
(Lindera benzoin) This upright deciduous shrub occurs along streams and in rich moist woods. It produces dense clusters of small yellow flowers in early spring and bright red berry-like fruits in the...
Doghobble| | The Cove Forest

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Grades

  • 6
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Doghobble| | The Cove Forest
This evergreen shrubs forms dense thickets in ravines and along streams. The leaves are thick and leathery and the urn-shaped fragrant flowers bloom in early spring.
Snowy Hydrangea | The Cove Forest

Photo

Grades

  • 6
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Snowy Hydrangea | The Cove Forest
(Hydrangea radiata) This deciduous shrub with peeling bark on its stems occurs in open woods as well as along streams and in moist roadside areas. The flowers form dense clusters with showy white...
Rosebay | The Cove Forest

Photo

Grades

  • 6
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Rosebay | The Cove Forest
(Rhododendron maxiumum) This evergreen shrub or small tree forms dense thickets in cool, moist, partially shaded sites such as stream banks, ravines and mountain slopes. It has thick leathery leaves...
Trout Lily | The Cove Forest

Photo

Grades

  • 6
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Trout Lily | The Cove Forest
Trout lily has a very short growing season. Plants emerge in late winter-early spring as soil temperatures rise. A few weeks later, when the canopy trees leaf out, and the florest floor is in deep...
Sweet Shrub | The Cove Forest

Photo

Grades

  • 6
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Sweet Shrub | The Cove Forest
The common name of this deciduous shrub refers to its fragrant leaves, twigs, and flowers. It has distinctive maroon or brownish flowers that develop into large brown pods. White-footed mice often...
Tulip Poplar | The Cove Forest

Photo

Grades

  • 6
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Tulip Poplar | The Cove Forest
This large tree which can be found in forests, roadsides and fields has a straight trunk and large leaves with four sharp-tipped lobes. The greenish-yellow, cup-shaped flowers provide an important...
Red Oak | The Cove Forest

Photo

Grades

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Red Oak | The Cove Forest
(Quercus rubra) Several species of oak can be found growing in the cove forest, and Red Oak is perhaps most frequently encountered. This tree has leaves with sharp lobes and bristles at the tips and...
Fraser's Magnolia | The Cove Forest

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Grades

  • 6
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Fraser's Magnolia | The Cove Forest
(Magnolia fraseri) This fast-growing tree with multiple stems, large deciduous leaves, and sweet-scented flowers, occurs in moist slopes and along streams. It is only found in the southern Appalachian...
Ironwood | The Cove Forest

Photo

Grades

  • 6
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Ironwood | The Cove Forest
(Carpinus caroliniana) This slow-growing understory tree occurs along streams and in moist bottomland forests. Its wood is extremely hard and was used in the past for golf club heads, mallets and tool...
Canada Hemlock | The Cove Forest

Photo

Grades

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Canada Hemlock | The Cove Forest
Almost all trees in cove forests are deciduous - that is, they drop their leaves in the fall and produce new ones in spring. The Canada hemlock, in contrast, is an evergreen - it retains its needle...
Basswood | The Cove Forest

Photo

Grades

  • 6
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Basswood | The Cove Forest
(Tilia americana) A medium to large tree that frequently occurs in the understory but may also reach the canopy. The large heart-shaped leaves are finely toothed and have an asymmetrical base. The...
Carolina Silverbell | The Cove Forest

Photo

Grades

  • 6
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Carolina Silverbell | The Cove Forest
(Halesia tetraptera) This small to medium-sized understory tree has distinctive white-yellow vertical streaks on its young stems. In early spring it produces white bell-shaped flowers that develop...
Beech | The Cove Forest

Photo

Grades

  • 6
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Beech | The Cove Forest
(Fagus grandifolia) The smooth gray bark, sharp-pointed buds, and papery toothed leaves make beech one of the easiest trees to identify. Because it can tolerate deep shade, individuals occur both in...
Yellow Buckeye | The Cove Forest

Photo

Grades

  • 6
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Yellow Buckeye | The Cove Forest
(Aseculus flava) The palm-shaped leaves of this deciduous tree are divided into 5-7 large leaflets. Yellow buckeye is one of the first trees to leaf-out in the spring. It produces clusters of tubular...
The Forest Floor | The Cove Forest

Photo

Grades

  • 6
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The Forest Floor | The Cove Forest
Episode 5
The forest floor functions as a wastebasket for all the layers above it. Materials accumulate most rapidly in the fall as the dead leaves of deciduous species fall to the ground. However, a steady...
The Herbaceous Layer | The Cove Forest

Photo

Grades

  • 6
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The Herbaceous Layer | The Cove Forest
Episode 4
Herbaceous plants, or herbs for short, are green plants that have soft rather than woody stems. Most wildflowers and grasses are herbs, as are ferns and mosses.
The Shrub Layer | The Cove Forest

Photo

Grades

  • 6
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The Shrub Layer | The Cove Forest
Episode 3
Shrubs are woody plants that have several stems and are generally shorter than trees. In ravines and along creeks, shrubs such as rosebay rhododendron from dense thickets. In other areas, shrubs may...
The Understory | The Cove Forest

Photo

Grades

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The Understory | The Cove Forest
Episode 2
The understory typically includes smaller individuals of canopy species such as beach and yellow buckeye. Also present are genetically smaller trees that never reach the canopy, such as flowering...
The Canopy | The Cove Forest

Photo

Grades

  • 6
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The Canopy | The Cove Forest
Episode 1
Mature trees in a cove forest are so large and so closely bunched together that the canopy is like a huge tent that shuts out the sunlight. Most photosynthesis (food production) of the forest occurs...
Gap with Fallen Tree | The Cove Forest

Photo

Grades

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Gap with Fallen Tree | The Cove Forest
Due to high winds, old age and other natural causes, trees frequently fall over, which creates openings (gaps) in the forest. These openings promote species diversity by creating additional and...