Description
Hardy, summer-blooming, North American perennial
Description: Slightly upturned, rose-purple petals around a central, green-tinged disk; dark green, linear foliage
Habit: Grows 1.5-2.5' high and 1-1.5' wide
Culture: Prefers full sun to part shade and average, well-drained soil; drought tolerant once established
Hardiness: Cold hardy to USDA Zone 5
Origin: North America
Attributes: Attracts birds and butterflies, drought tolerant, deer resistant, cut flower
This extremely rare wildflower, first collected in the wild in 1878 by Dr. A. Gattinger and listed in the Flora of Tennessee in 1906, is native only to cedar glades around Nashville. In 1979, E. tennesseensis was listed as endangered by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, but was recently removed from this list in 2011. Like other coneflowers, this showy species makes a good cut flower (fresh and dried), provides nectar for butterflies and seeds for birds, is unattractive to deer, and tolerates drought. zone5,zone6,zone7,zone8,zone9,zone0