Herbal Healing: Echinacea

Plant Facts

Echinacea angustifolia, Echinacea purpurpea, and Echinacea pallida are all part of the Echinacea family. Commonly known as the Purple Coneflower, Black Sampson, Rudbeckia, or the Prairie Coneflower, these plants have a purple flower. The florets are seated around a high cone which lends the name. The stems are fibrous and the rhizome are similar to small tubers.

The purple coneflower has a slight aromatic smell and a very sweet taste. If you chew on the flower it leaves a slight tingling sensation.

The Purple Coneflower was often harvested by the Dakota and the Sioux Indians. The fresh root was used to treat snake bites and blood poisoning. The Cheyenne chewed the fresh root to treat coughs, sore throats, and even mouth ulcers.

The plant is native to North America, found in the east and mid-west. It is now cultivated in gardens across the United States and other areas of the world.

Plant Medicinal Value

The root of older plants, either fresh or dried, is the active part which contains the medicinal value found in purple coneflower. Researchers have surmised that the echinacoside glycosides are the main anti-microbial found in all the various Echinacea varieties. There are also other biologically active substances which provide immune system stimulation and antiviral properties.

This plant has been used for the following health concerns:

+Snake, spider, and scorpion bites
+Blood Poisoning
+Colds and Flu
+Infection
+Inflammation
+Mastitis
+Yeast Infections
+Athlete's foot
+Sore Throat

It is typically used as a decoction, tincture, or infusion although it is also sometimes used in powder form.

Prepare Your Herbs

I have used purple coneflower from our garden for sore throats, colds, and mouth sores. I use it mostly as a tincture although I have also used a decoction.

To prepare a tincture, first dig up several rhizome (roots) from a plant. It seems to me the older plants are more potent.

Clean the root carefully under water and then dice it with a sharp knife.

Place the diced up root in a Mason jar with pure vodka. I use about 6 ounces of fresh root or 3 ounces of dried root and 16 ounces of 100 Proof Vodka.

Put a lid on it and let sit for two weeks in a warm, sunny place.

Twice a day, shake the jar to mix the ingredients.

After two weeks, strain as much liquid as you can manage into a clean storage jar. I run it all through a coffee filter and then I even squeeze the leftover rhizome to get as much liquid out as possible. Some people run it through a clean linen fabric first and then through a coffee filter.

Now put your finished tincture in dark amber glass bottles. Label carefully with a date, herb name, and what menstruum used (in this case Vodka). Your tincture is ready for use.

Tincture Dosage

When I have a cold, I take 25 drops of tincture in a small glass of water every four hours. It is amazing how quickly the Echinacea helps cure the cold.

It is important to note, I am not a doctor. This post is for informational and entertainment value only. Improper preparation and use of herbal healing can be dangerous, even fatal. Whenever using Herbal Healing, make sure to work closely with an expert.

Happy Herbal Healing!

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