07/10/2026
Rare native plant species found in TN!
In April 2025, USFWS Private Lands Biologist Robby Cogburn was visiting a landowner in Wilson County when he came across a plant that made him think someone was pulling an April Fools’ prank.
It turned out to be anything but a joke — he had discovered a new population of federally endangered Pyne’s ground-plum!
Until this find, Pyne’s ground-plum was only known to naturally occur in Rutherford County, making this new Wilson County population an exciting and significant discovery.
Thanks to a strong partnership between the landowner, the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation, Quail Forever, and the Missouri Botanical Garden, restoration work is now underway to improve the property’s limestone glades. Seed collection efforts have also begun to help safeguard this rare and remarkable species.
A big win for conservation in Tennessee! 🌱✨
