Most Beautiful Medicine
When we plant it in our flower gardens we usually call it
Coneflower, and recently plant breeders have offered electric colored cultivars
in stunning shades of orange, red and pink. I don't have photos of those,
but you can find them on the internet I am sure. The one I originally
planted at the house is named Pink Parasol.
Coneflowers are among the most reliable of perennials and bloom over
a long period, slowly losing their spring brightness. For the market, I
plant seed in the fall and about half my plants bloom the first year. By
year two all are in full array,. Since I have planted saved hybrid seed I've
been seeing different forms including a white one.
Medicinal practitioners and cough syrup manufacturers usually
call this plant by its Latin name, Echinacea purpurea. Although the
flowers have minor health uses, to get the real medicine, you must pull up the
plant and take its roots. Like many root medicines older plants are more
potent and Echinacea root should be harvested from a plant at least three years
old. This spring I had an infection on my leg and pulled up a younger
plant which had only a small ring of black tissue within the root. The
extent of this coloration may define its potency. Nevertheless the
poultice I made seemed to warm and heal.
Healing skin problems is one of the major uses of Echinacea, but
Chevallier writes that it is the most important immune stimulant in Western
herbal medicine, used for infections of all kinds, especially chronic
infections. Chronic fatigue syndrome is particularly mentioned.
Colds, flu, skin disorders, and respiratory problems are effectively
treated. Isn't this a plant we all need to be growing?
It looks especially lovely with blue spiderwort as a framework
I also was pleased to read that the ornamental cultivars are
probably just as potent as the threatened plants in the wild.
Give me a call if you want to plant some!
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