Flower profile
Tennessee purple coneflower
Echinacea tennesseensis
Tennessee purple coneflower is a wildflower that USDA PLANTS lists as native in the lower 48 states. In Tennessee it's most often seen in bloom in May–October.
*iNaturalist research-grade observations, as of October 17, 2026.
On our lists for: Tennessee
Quick look
Echinacea tennesseensis, also known as the Tennessee coneflower or Tennessee purple coneflower, is a flowering plant in the family Asteraceae, endemic to the cedar glades of the central portion of the U.S. state of Tennessee.
- It belongs to the Asteraceae family. iNaturalist
- USDA PLANTS describes it as an herb (forb) with a perennial life cycle. USDA PLANTS
- USDA PLANTS lists it as native in the lower 48 states and records it in 1 states. USDA PLANTS
- NatureServe lists it as native to Tennessee. NatureServe
- In Tennessee, most iNaturalist sightings of it in flower come in May–October. iNaturalist
- iNaturalist has 801 research-grade sightings of it in Tennessee, ranking #104 among the 112 flowers on our Tennessee list. iNaturalist
Tennessee purple coneflower gift ideas
Handmade tennessee purple coneflower gifts from independent makers.
🌱 Sample spot. Handmade gift picks from independent shops will appear here once our shop partnership is approved. These cards are placeholders, not real products.
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Tennessee purple coneflower art print
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Tennessee purple coneflower greeting card
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Tennessee purple coneflower mug
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Tennessee purple coneflower earrings
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Tennessee purple coneflower embroidery pattern
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Tennessee purple coneflower sticker
When does it bloom?
In Tennessee, most flowering sightings come in May–October.
Conservation status
- Federal (U.S. ESA)
- Not listed Not listed under the Endangered Species Act. USFWS ECOS does track it with the label “Recovery,” which is informal and gives no legal protection. USFWS ECOS
- NatureServe global
- G2 Imperiled worldwide. NatureServe
- Tennessee
- Not listed Not on Tennessee endangered plants (Tenn. Comp. R. & Regs. 0400-06-02-.04, Rare Plant Protection and Conservation Act). NatureServe: S2, imperiled in Tennessee. TN rule 0400-06-02-.04
- Rare elsewhere
- No other U.S. state ranks it S1, S2, SH or SX.
Checked October 17, 2026. Rankings and lists can change, so follow the links for the latest.
Please don't pick or dig this flower: NatureServe ranks it S2 in Tennessee. NatureServe
Can you eat it?
None of the sources we checked (NC State Extension (no edibility or poison notes on its page), USDA PLANTS) say whether it's edible or poisonous for people. NC State Extension
It isn't on the ASPCA plant list, and NC State Extension doesn't flag it for pets.
🌿 Never eat a wild plant unless you're certain of its ID; this isn't medical advice. Worried about a person? Call Poison Control at 1-800-222-1222. Worried about a pet? Call your vet.
Where does it grow?
USDA PLANTS records tennessee purple coneflower in 1 states.
recorded by USDA PLANTS on our state lists not recorded
See the full list of states
Tennessee.
Tennessee counties with USDA records: Davidson, Rutherford, Wilson.
More Tennessee flowers
Sources
- USDA, NRCS. PLANTS Database, profile ECTE3.
- iNaturalist, Echinacea tennesseensis: taxonomy, research-grade observation counts and “Flowering” annotations, retrieved October 17, 2026.
- Wikipedia, Echinacea tennesseensis (lead quoted under CC BY-SA 4.0).
- Tenn. Code § 4-1-306: Tennessee state wildflower.
- Tennessee: Tennessee endangered plants (Tenn. Comp. R. & Regs. 0400-06-02-.04, Rare Plant Protection and Conservation Act).
- Tennessee: Tennessee Pest Plant List (Tenn. Comp. R. & Regs. 0080-06-24-.02).
- USFWS, ECOS species database (ESA listing check), October 17, 2026.
- NatureServe Explorer, Echinacea tennesseensis (global and state ranks).
- Edibility and toxicity: NC State Extension.
- Photo: Nicholas Stockmaster via iNaturalist · CC BY 4.0 · resized.