PlantFiles: Tennessee Coneflower
Echinacea tennesseensis

Tennessee Coneflower:

This US native perennial performs very well in dry situations with a full sun aspect. Flowers seem to last for quite some time giving way to a long bloom period. Ray floret arrangement reminds of an umbrella upturned from strong gust of wind. Dry seed heads attract some birds, noticeably American Goldfinch (Spinus tristus), and moths and butterflies. Plant slowly spreads and not over-aggressive as some native plants can sometimes tend to grow. Overall--along with so many native plants--a wonderful one!

I do have this planted in my miniature prairie garden: all plants in this garden are native prairie plants either from the US plains, central US, and/or from Missouri. None require nothing more than a modicum of care in spring: fertilizer, a light mulch, and maybe culling or spraying the occasional non-native weed that has popped up.

Tennessee Coneflower is currently growing in a rocky, clay, compacted soil among Callirhoe involucrata, Aster ericoides, Salvia azurea, Calamagrostis canadensis, Manfreda virginica, among others.

I purchased six small plants in 2.5" pots from Sunlight Gardens in 2005. I failed to protect them from rabbits and lost 4. The remaining two have grown into a nice size clump nearly 1.5' across. They are shorter than most coneflowers with pretty, daisy-like, pink flowers that are open rather than cone-shaped. Bloom season is a little longer than for purple coneflowers such as Kim's knee high and magnum. Aside from being very vulnerable to rabbits (liquid fence spray has worked for me), they are a tough. Mine are in afternoon sun behind my garage and don't get watered often.

I planted Tennesse Coneflower from seed and it is not old enough to bloom yet. I got it for 2 reasons: 1) I'm a plant collector and want a bit of everything. 2) It is officially listed by the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service as an endangered species. Hopefully I can share it with others and do my part to help keep it alive.

I just love this little coneflower. I started my plants from seed and they've done very well here in Maine. The flowers remain fresh on the plant for weeks before they start to fade. It's a great bloomer and makes a wonderful garden plant. I lost a couple after an exceptionally wet winter but other than that, it's been very dependable.

Similar to E. purpurea, but ray petals are horizontal rather than drooping, and cone is greenish pink. Forms a low casual mound. This beautiful coneflower is rare and endangered in the wild, found growing only in three locations in Tennessee. It is being propagated under permit; look for it in wildflower nurseries. Does well in partial shade, especially near cedar trees, where bedrock is near the surface.