Scientific/Latin Name: Echinacea purpurea (augustifolia)
Place of Origin: North America
Commonly thought of: A pretty purple garden flower
Past Uses:Used long ago by Native Americans for various skin conditions (Topically), Toothaches and throat infections (Chewing of roots), and pain, coughs, stomachaches, and snake bites (Ingestion). Used by white settlers in the past to treat, scarlet fever, syphilis, malaria, blood poisoning, and diphtheria
Active Constituents: polysaccharides, echinacoside, cichoric acid, ketoalkenes and alkylamides
Medicinal uses: More commonly used to help reduce the symptoms and time of the flu and common cold and is used often as an immune support booster to help fight infections and prevent illness. May be recommended to treat a list of infections including ear infections, urinary tract infections, sinusitis, hay fever, and slow healing wounds. There is a study to suggest it may even lessen the outbreak of cold sores caused by the herpes virus used as an extract.
Usually used as: Tea, Extract, Capsules, and Ticture
Growing/Wildcrafting: While it once grew wild all over North America because it was so widely popular among white settlers and early Americans it's much more common to grow and often found in gardens. It can be grown from a seed rather easily with proper care.
Cautions: Not good to take if you have any kind of immunodeficiency because it excites the immune system. Not good to take if you show allergies to the plant or similar plants like ragweed.
Extra Notes: According to the University of Maryland Medical Center, "Several clinical trials have shown that people who take echinacea as soon as they feel sick reduce the severity of their cold and have fewer symptoms than those who do not take the herb. One study of 95 people with early symptoms of cold and flu (such as runny nose, scratchy throat, and fever) found that those who drank several cups of echinacea tea every day for 5 days felt better sooner than those who drank tea without echinacea.
A review of 14 clinical trials found that echinacea reduced the odds of developing a cold by 58% and the duration of a cold by 1 - 4 days. However, some experts dispute these findings claiming that there were several weaknesses in the analyses. Echinacea preparations tested in clinical trials differ greatly. It is important to choose a high quality echinacea supplement. Talk to your health care provider for recommendations."
Where to find Recipes: Echinacea Tincture, Echinacea-Elderberry Cough Syrup,
How to make Preparations: A tincture is a combination of herb parts soaked in vodka for a period of time, they have a longer shelf life than typical preparations and is taken usually by individual drops into a glass of water. How to harvest Echinacea for tea,
Sources:
Karger, S., GmbH. "Result Filters." National Center for Biotechnology Information. U.S. National Library of Medicine, 10 Apr. 2003. Web. 12 June 2015. -- Website Link
Erhlich, Steven D., NMD. "Echinacea." University of Maryland Medical Center. University of Maryland Medical Center, 7 May 2013. Web. 12 June 2015. -- Website Link
This is also a good source of information for those of you putting together your Materia Medica (← Find out how to make your own on the side bar page titled "Materia Medica").
~Lindsey Shemwell (The Budding Botanist)
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