Fish and Wildlife Service listed Schweinitz's sunflower as an endangered species on May 7, 1991.

[3] Botanists John Torrey (1796-1873) and Asa Gray (1810-1888) first mentioned the species in 1842.

It is named for Lewis David von Schweinitz (1780-1834), a Salem, North Carolina clergyman and botanist who discovered the species.

[7] Schweinitz's sunflower is only found in the Piedmont region of North and South Carolina.

The sunflower is generally found growing on shallow, poor, clayey, and/or rocky soils.

Methods of monitoring vary, but no population displayed a steady increase.

[8] Since this flower occurs in rapidly-developing areas, some of its greatest threats are human impact.

[8] The Endangered Species Act of 1973 protects the sunflower and other wildflower habitats.

[8] There is currently no International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) listing for Schweinitz's sunflower.