Tennessee sunflower off list of threatened plants

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service removed Eggert’s sunflower from its listing as threatened under the Endangered Species Act because new populations have been identified and other populations secured, agency spokesman Tom MacKenzie said.

The move means federal agencies will no longer be required to consult with the service to ensure that any action they carry out won’t jeopardize the plant’s existence.

There are 287 known Eggert’s sunflower sites forming 73 populations across Alabama, Kentucky and Tennessee, MacKenzie said.

In Tennessee, the plant is found in Coffee, Dickson, Lawrence, Lewis, Marion, Maury and Williamson counties, according to a 1997 federal report.

The sunflower has large yellow flowers, grows up to 8-feet tall and prefers rolling or flat uplands in full sun or partial shade. It’s usually found in open fields or thickets along wooded borders with other tall plants and small trees.

“It is threatened throughout its range by habitat alteration; residential, commercial or industrial development; plant succession; and conversion of its limited habitat to pasture or croplands,” the 1997 document reads.

Unlike the common sunflower, Eggert’s sunflower is a perennial and is not grown commercially.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture is studying Eggert’s seeds to determine if they can be used to improve seed and oil production in commercially grown sunflowers, according to the service.