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Echinacea

(also referred to as...)

Black Samson, Purple Coneflower, Narrowleaf Echinacea

Latin Name: Echinacea angustifolia/purpurea/pallida

Family: Compositae

 
Description

Echinacea is one of the most, if not the most used herbal home remedy today. It was originally introduced to settlers by indigenous cultures where it was extensively used for snake bites, fevers, and old, stubborn, wounds. Famous for its beautiful, deep purple, flowers and its faint, aromatic, sweet scent, it is becoming a favourite as an ornamental perennial. Wild echinacea is becoming endangered as its popularity grows.

Rather than attacking bacteria or viruses directly, this herb stimulates the immune system itself. Your body sees echinacea as a foreign substance and increases leucocyte/white blood cell production as a defense. In turn, these cells fight off bacteria and viral invaders. Echinacea also stimulates T-cell formation which assists in healing, boosting the immune system, and promoting the healing of wounds.

Echinacea inhibits certain enzymes that spread bacteria and is useful in most viral, bacterial, and inflamed conditions. This plant is a wonderful alterative (blood cleanser), either in poisoning, toxicity, cancer, and in many skin conditions such as boils and abscesses. Echinacea is also used as an ideal lymph cleanser and can be employed in tonsillitis or swollen lymph nodes.

Echinacea angustifolia (Narrowleaf Echinacea) is medicinally more active than Echinacea purpurea, but is also more difficult to grow. There is debate as to whether Echinacea pallida (Pale-purple echinacea) is in fact Echinacea angustifolia and the two have swapped names. True Echinacea pallida is even more difficult to grow than Echinacea angustifolia.

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