Description :
Echinacea is a perennial plant, meaning it lasts for many years. It is approximately 1-2 feet tall when mature. It is slightly spiky and has large purple to pink flowers, depending on the species. The center of the flower has a spiky seed cone, which is also spiky and red to dark brown in color. The American Indians often used it to treat swelling, burns, and pain from venomous stings and bites. Internally, they used Echinacea to take the body from a state of illness to a state of health.
History and Folklore:
The purple coneflower, also known as Echinacea, is native to North America. It is known to many different American Indian tribes. Echinacea roots were used as traditional healing herbs by many tribes, especially in the Great Plains and Midwest. In Western tribes like the Ute, Echinacea is called Elk Root due to the belief that wounded elk seek the plant out as medicine. The Navajo tribe considers Echinacea one of the sacred Life Medicines. It has also been chewed ritually during sweat lodge ceremonies and the Sundance.
Cultivation and Harvest:
Harvest the root and rhyzome early in the fall as the flowers start to wilt.
Precautions:
Do not use if pregnant or nursing. Echinacea purpurea should not be used in progressive systemic and autoimmune disorders.
Traditional Herbal Actions:
Alterative, anodyne, antibacterial, anti-fungal, anti-inflammatory (mild), antioxidant, antiseptic, antiviral, astringent, carminative, depurative, diaphoretic, sialogogue, vulnerary
Other Names:
Purple Coneflower, American Coneflower, Black Samson, Comb Flower, Hedgehog, Indian Head, Rudbeckia, Sampson Head, Scurvy Root, Snakeroot
Tincture Ingredients: Echinacea Root (E. purpurea)
*These statements have not been verified by the FDA and are only referenced here as a fun fact and/or for historical commentary, is not to be used as medical advice in any way. Consult your doctor before ingesting any herbal product.
None of these items or statements are approved by FDA. Consult your physician before taking any supplement. Do not take herbs or tinctures during pregnancy without consulting your healthcare provider. This product is not intended to diagnose or treat any disease. All information here is for entertainment and educational purposes only.
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