About Echinacea
 

Although very popular in the last few years, the potential of echinacea as the truly beneficial herb it really is, has yet to be fully understood by most. For several generations, Native Americans knew of the power of this plant and other herbs in treating or preventing many different ailments.

Commonly know as the coneflower, echinacea can be found growing as a wildflower mostly in the prairies, the Midwest states and as far south as Texas. Today this flower is not only an ornamental in many gardens, but also a cultivated herb with it's beautiful flowing rows of purplish blossoms.

Of the several varieties of echinacea the three most popular are purpurea, angustifolia and pallida. They are harvested for their roots, flower heads, seeds, or juice of the whole plant and can then be made into capsules, extracts, tinctures and tea. Other species are probably just as effective medicinally but little research has been done on them.

Echinacea is best known for its' immune enhancing ability. Echinacea is a very popular American wildflower and garden plant, the purple coneflower. It's also one of America's most popular herbal products, also used to prevent and treat the common cold, influenza and infections. Echinacea is the best known and one of the most researched of immunostimulants.

Echinacea was among the most popular herbs used by Native American Indians. At least 14 tribes used Echinacea for a coughs, colds, sore throats, infections, toothaches, inflammations, tonsillitis, and snake bites, among other uses. It was used by the Dakotas as a veterinary medicine for their horses.