Echinacea
Echinacea purpurea
Immunity
Parts used
Root, aerial parts
Region
North American prairie; widely cultivated
Season
July · August · September
Where it comes from
Native to the prairies of central and eastern North America.
How it’s been used through history
Plains nations including the Lakota and Cheyenne used the root for stings, sore throats and infections. Nineteenth-century American eclectic physicians adopted it widely, and it became one of the best known immune herbs of the 20th century.
Lookalike warning
Purple coneflower cultivars are ornamental and may be low in active constituents. Confirm species before harvesting.
For educational purposes only. Not medical advice.