Tennessee Coneflower (Echinacea Tennesseensis)

A plant that became endangered in its native habitat in Tennessee, Echinacea Tennesseensis is becoming an increasingly popular choice for gardeners who are interested in the Echinacea (coneflower) genus. The plant is somewhat shorter than the more common purple coneflower, grows quickly, and is quite hardy.

According to the description of the plant posted by American Beauties, a grower of native plants for commercial nurseries, "many wonderful pastel pink, flat-topped flowers with green and burgundy cones track the sun like sunflowers." The company describes the Tennessee coneflower as a "great choice for hot dry sites that are difficult for other species."

In my yard, in full sun, the plant is quite vigorous, bordering on invasive, and the blooms are somewhat pinker though very similar in color to those of purple coneflower. It blooms in mid-summer (July) in Illinois. The plant will grow in USDA zones 3-9.

The Tennessee Coneflower will attract birds and butterflies to your yard, as well as some other insects, such as bees.

Seeds may be sown directly into the garden in the fall, or stratification (chilling the seeds in a moist environment) before planting may be used to induce germination. An easy way to stratify is to mix the seeds with damp sand or vermiculite, seal them in a Ziploc bag, and store them in the refrigerator.

As it is has become more and more popular, bare-root and potted plants have become available from various vendors. A named hybrid, "Rocky Top," is also sold.

The natural habitat of this plant is the cedar forests of Tennessee, in a 30-mile radius surrounding Nashville. The plant grows in grades where temperatures rise 10 to 30 degrees highter than the surrounding area. As these glades are developed for housing, parking lots, or malls, the plant has lost important habitat.