In a recent article of Tennessee Greentimes, a magazine published by the Tennessee Nursery and Landscape Association, graduate student Richard Gualandi wrote an interesting article about the once thought to be extinct Tennessee coneflower or Echinacea tennisseensis.
We have successfully grown this for the past two years in our own garden and would highly recommend it to anyone. We had to spray it with Deer and Rabbit Off to keep the pesky animals from eating to the ground (which is what they did the first year).
Here are a few things I learned from the article and from growing them ourselves.
- The Tennessee coneflower was the second plant to be listed on the U.S. Endangered Species list but continues to be threatened by development and habitat destruction.
- Few of these plants remain in the wild despite conservation efforts
- Coneflowers in general are tough and adapt well to most any type of soil as long as you have good drainage and full sun.
- Butterflies and the yellow finch love this flower (and any other coneflower for that matter)
- The Tennessee coneflower is smaller than purple coneflowers with a height of about 2′.
- Collection from the wild is illegal. Look for it at your local garden center.
- Propagates easily from seed by means of stratification methods. May cross pollinate when planted next to other coneflowers.
We agree with the author that this flower is a rare gem in its native habitat and it should be planted in more gardens not only so others may enjoy it, but also to “be a part in preserving the volunteer state’s natural history.”