September 2008 - The Medicinal Uses of Echinacea

In the Echinacea (pronounced ek-eh-nay'-sha) family of plants, three species of coneflower are used in medicinal herbal products. All three are easy to grow, hardy perennials (Zones 3-9, and often grow wild in fields, woods, on prairies, and along roadsides). Echinacea has daisy-like flowers with brownish centers from which long petals droop down and out. Medicinally marketed since the early 1900s, Echinacea has become one of the most widely used and recognized herbal remedies. As an immune system stimulant, echinacea helps in the healing process.

Echinacea purpurea or purple coneflower grows an average height of 3-4 feet and has pale to dark green leaves. Flowering mid-summer through autumn, the lovely petals are rose to purple in color. Rather than a tap root, this species grows a shorter, more fibrous root system and prefers moist locations that are well-drained, such as open woods, fields and near water. When cultivated, this coneflower achieves its full potential in soil containing plenty of compost, good drainage, and full sun.

Echinacea angustifolia is the shortest of the three species, growing to only 2 feet tall. The drier soil it prefers is found on the prairies and wastelands of the west. The flower petals, narrower in width than E. purpurea, are more pinkish than rose or purple. The long black roots of E. angustifolia were originally used and marketed for medicinal use more than a century ago.

Echinacea pallida is offered more frequently these days in catalogs and nurseries, not just as a traditional herb, but also as an ornamental. The reason: Growing to 3 feet, E. pallida offers larger blossoms and stems than E. angustifolia. The flower petals are a delicate, light pink and grow almost 5 inches long. A very attractive coneflower, E. pallida grows wild in the Midwest on prairies, fields, and along roadsides. It, too, prefers a drier site than E. purpurea.

The coneflowers are easy to propagate: Gently divide root clumps in early spring or, even easier, leave a few flower heads to mature on the plant in the fall. If the birds don't eat all the seed, coneflowers will generally self-seed. Or harvest a few mature seed heads, and scatter the seed in a prepared bed in late fall, lightly mulch, and water in.

To preserve the handsome flowers, cut the flower heads as soon as they mature. Pour a layer of silica gel or very fine kitty litter in the bottom of a cardboard box, and gently lay the flowers on top. Be sure the flowers don't touch. Carefully cover the flowers completely with more silica gel or litter, then close the box and set in a dry, dark place for a couple of weeks. When completely dry, carefully lift the flowers and shake off the drying agent.

Originally, only the roots of echinacea were used medicinally, but the entire plant has medicinal properties, with the highest concentrations in the roots. Echinacea is well-known as a powerful herb for the immune system. Consult a health-care professional for proper use.

Even if never used medicinally, echinacea is well worth growing for its simple beauty.