The term “native” is frequently used in regard to plants, but what exactly does it mean - and how does it differ from the term “endemic” plant? When asking most people what a native plant is, they respond with some iteration of “a plant that was here before Europeans arrived.” While correct in a rudimentary sense, at Reflection Riding, being the type of organization we are, we’ve chosen to loosely adopt the American Botanical Society’s definition of a native plant, which is: “a plant that exists in a location without any direct or indirect human intervention.” This definition developed out of the awareness that the early peoples also manipulated plants in the landscape, such as burning and moving plants from one location to another. Because every plant on earth is native to someplace, it’s always important to indicate where a plant is native. 

Refining the term native further, we have the word “endemic,” which means native only to a specific area. It doesn’t mean that area is the only place the plant grows, but rather the only place where the plant grows naturally. If I say a plant is endemic to Tennessee, it indicates that the species may be found growing in many parts of the south, but if it is, it would have been taken there by humans. Like the use of “native,” when referring to a plant being “endemic,” it’s important to indicate where it’s endemic.

A lovely plant in Tennessee that embodies both of these terms, native and endemic, is Echinacea tennesseensis, commonly known as Tennessee coneflower or Tennessee purple coneflower. The genus name of this plant “Echinacea” is from Greek “echinos,” a hedgehog - alluding to the prickly scales emanating from the flowers center. The purple coneflowers, in general, are host to a plethora of organisms – birds, bees, caterpillars, moths, and butterflies. One of the most noticeable of these are the Eastern goldfinches that are frequently observed late in the summer eating the plant’s seeds. This is yet another reason to avoid cutting plants back at the end of the season.

Like many members of the Asteraceae , the aster family, what we call the flower is correctly an inflorescence, composed of many flowers. There are ray flowers (the petals) and the disc flowers (the dark colored center protuberance resembling an inverted thimble). 

This beautiful plant, one of Tennessee’s six endemic species, is rare and only known from less than ten locations in three counties. It was once listed as a federally endangered plant, but thanks to the purchase and protection of its habitats by organizations such as the Nature Conservancy and the state of Tennessee, in 2011, it was removed from the endangered species list.

Of all the plants native to Tennessee, this is one whose praises we sing. There are many species of Echinacea, all of them popular, easy to grow, and garden-worthy, but this one is “ours!”

This is one of the many wonderful plants we offer at our nursery, which is now open full time. Nursery hours are 9am-3pm Tuesday through Saturday. Come check us out!

By John T. Manion, Arboretum Curator

After earning an undergraduate degree in plant science at the State University of New York at Cobleskill, John was awarded a fellowship to earn a Master’s Degree in Public Garden Leadership at Cornell University. He has interned and worked at several botanical gardens and arboreta, including the Royal Botanical Garden in Edinburgh, Scotland, the Atlanta History Center, and the Birmingham Botanical Gardens.