&EPA
United States
Environmental Protection
Agency
Pesticides and
Toxic Substances
(H7507C)
October 1989
Endangered Species
Fact Sheet
Tennessee Purple Coneflower
Some plants and animals listed by the U.S. Fish
and Wildlife Service as endangered or threatened can be
harmed by the use of certain pesticides. To help ensure the
continued existence of these species, the U.S.
Environmental Protection Agerifcy (EPA) will limit the use
of certain pesticide products within the habitat of these
species. This action will reduce the exposure of
endangered or threatened species to potentially harmful
pesticides. The Tennessee purple coneflower is an
endangered plant for which EPA may set pesticide
limitations.
What Is the Tennessee Purple Coneflower?
The Tennessee purple coneflower (scientific name:
Echinacea tennesseensis) is a wildflower found only in the
cedar glades of central Tennessee where limestone bedrock
is exposed or covered with a very thin layer of soil. It is a
short, woody plant that produces pinkish-purple flowers
resembling black-eyed Susans from June through October.
These flowers produce a limited number of seeds, but most
of these germinate easily if conditions are favorable. The
coneflower's roots tend to be long, and are forced to grow
horizontally because of the impenetrable bedrock located
beneath the plant. The roots are well-adapted for
absorbing and storing water that is available in rock
crevices. Coneflowers are seldom found in shady areas,
perhaps because denser, taller vegetation can compete
better than the wildflower for water and light.
In addition to its significance as a beautiful
wildflower, the Tennessee purple coneflower may be useful
in medicine. Originally valued by Native Americans for its
numbing effects, the coneflower's medicinal properties
currently are being studied by cancer and AIDS researchers
for possible applications in combating these illnesses.
Only five populations of the plant are known, and
all are located within 14 miles of one another in the State of
Tennessee. A "population" is a group of colonies that can
pollinate each other. A "colony" is a group of plants that is
separated from other groups of the same species of plant
by an ecological or physical barrier, such as soil that is
unsuitable for growth. Colonies of coneflowers contain
from one to hundreds of plants and are found on both State
and private land.
How Is the Tennessee Purple Coneflower
Threatened?
The major threat to this wildflower is the
destruction of its habitat. For example, two colonies of the
Tennessee purple coneflower were destroyed by
construction of housing developments. Several of the
populations existing today are similarly threatened by
rapidly spreading residential and commercial
development. Other activities such as off-road vehicle use,
dumping of trash and debris, animal grazing, and field
mowing also can harm the coneflower. However, if
performed sparingly, animal grazing and field mowing
may actually help the coneflower by eliminating its
competition. The coneflower appears to be able to survive
many types of physical abuse to its habitat except outright
destruction of the cedar glades by paving, building, or
establishment of lawns.
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Herbicide use within the cedar glades, or pesticide
use on industrial, residential, fence row, and grazing sites
adjacent to coneflower populations can directly threaten
the plant's survival. In addition, the coneflower can be
indirectly affected if pesticide use modifies its habitat or
destroys the bees and butterflies on which it depends for
pollination.
In addition to the human activities that threaten its
habitat, some of its inherent biological characteristics may
threaten the coneflower, particularly in combination with
habitat destruction. For example, the plant does not
produce many seeds, and these seeds are not dispersed
widely by animals or the wind. Dispersion is helpful to
plant reproduction because it prevents plants from
becoming overcrowded and provides an opportunity for
seeds to grow in new, and possibly better, conditions. Even
if dispersed to another area, however, the coneflower could
have difficulty surviving because the process the plant uses
to produce energy to live requires a large volume of water.
The Tennessee purple coneflower is a delicate, highly
specialized plant that is well-adapted to the cedar-glade
environment. If this environment is destroyed, the
Tennessee purple coneflower may very well become
extinct.
What Is Being Done to
Prevent Extinction of
the Tennessee Purple Coneflower?
On June 6,1979, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
officially listed the Tennessee purple coneflower as an
endangered species. The Fish and Wildlife Service then
developed a recovery plan to increase the numbers of this
wildflower. The overall goal of the recovery plan is to
ensure viability of the five wild populations of the
coneflower. This goal will have been met when each
population consists of three self-sustaining colonies (a
colony is considered self-sustaining when there are two
young plants for every flowering plant). The coneflower
will be reclassified from "endangered" to "threatened"
when each population has two colonies.
To help achieve the recovery goal, the U.S. Fish
and Wildlife Service has notified private landowners and
the State of Tennessee's Division of Forestry of the
existence of a significant rare plant on their properties and
has initiated a public information campaign focusing on
the importance of preserving the Tennessee purple
coneflower. In addition, systematic searches are being
conducted to locate new coneflower colonies, and methods
are being developed for removing seeds to establish new
experimental colonies without hurting existing colonies.
The EPA is developing a program to protect the coneflower
from harmful pesticide use. This program will limit the
use of certain pesticides in areas where the coneflower
grows to ensure that the plant is not inadvertantly
destroyed.
The State of Tennessee and the general public also
are taking steps to protect and enhance the coneflower. For
example, private landowners with indigenous Tennessee
purple coneflower colonies have agreed not to disturbTthe
plants, and other landowners are obtaining coneflower
seeds and successfully growing the plants in their home
gardens. The Tennessee Native Plants Society has agreed
to dispense coneflower seeds through its seed exchange
program. A Tennessee Valley Authority nursery is now
growing about 500 to 1,000 plants with seeds taken from
wild coneflowers, and the Tennessee Department of
Conservation seeded three areas on State-owned land in
order to produce new coneflower colonies. In addition,
State-owned lands containing existing colonies have been
zoned as "restricted," thereby prohibiting timber
management practices such as brush removal and logging
which could damage Tennessee purple coneflower
populations.
Although many steps have been taken to protect
the Tennessee purple coneflower, its existence is not secure.
For example, even though many plants successfully grow
in home gardens, they are dependent on constant care in
order to survive. Federal, State, and private efforts must
continue to protect the Tennessee purple coneflower from
extinction and preserve its natural habitat.
How Can I Obtain
Additional Information?
To obtain copies of the recovery plan for the
Tennessee purple coneflower, you may contact:
Fish and Wildlife Reference Service
5430 Grosvenor Lane
Suite 110
Bethesda,MD 20814
For additional information on EPA's Endangered
Species Protection Program, contact:
The Endangered Species Protection
Program (H7507-C)
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
401 M Street, S.W.
Washington, DC 20460
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