Echinacea, Coneflower seed & plant information page

Echinacae purpurea Flowers and Seed Heads

Echinacea- As one of the most striking of all North American wildflowers, the purple coneflower has been appreciated both in gardens and in nature for hundreds of years. Part of the lesson that flowers teach humans is to be aware of the moment, because their bright beauty is fleeting and impermanent. When the drying winds of early winter sweep off the mountainside and across the grasslands, laying down the first blanket of snow, the purple coneflowers whither and dry. Perhaps the entire stalk blows over and lodges in the surface of a mounting snowdrift. Now the flower looks for all the world like a bit of ocean debris thrown up on a sandy beach, a likeness that long ago gave rise to its latin name “echinos,” meaning literally “sea urchin.”

Echinacea
Family: Asteraceae

Plant description: Echinacea is a widespread and diverse genus of plants consisting of nine unique species indigenous to open glades, woodlands, riparian lowlands, prairies, and mountains in North America. The plant is an herbaceous perennial, anchored in the soil by either a spreading, fibrous root or a taproot, depending on the species. The roots are tough and earthy-smelling, with a crown that grows woody with age, giving rise to a full rosette of leaves. The leaf shapes may be narrowly lance-shaped and entire or broadly lance-shaped and toothed. Mature plants produce several flowering stalks, sometimes branched, with leaves occurring sparsely up the stem. They are crowned by the magnificent purple flower.

Echinacea seed: Echinacea seed is colored tan or two-toned tan and brown. The echinacea seed varies substantially in size and density, depending on the species and especially depending on the availability of water and nutrients during the growing season. An ounce of seed contains anywhere from 6,000 to 7,500 seeds, and given the right conditions germination is usually around 80%. On our organically certified seed farm we grow only one variety of echinacea at a time for seed production, in order to keep the strain pure. However, we maintain a living seed collection of 6 distinct species accessed from growers throughout the US and Canada, including Echinacea angustifolia, Echinacea atrorubens, Echinacea pallida, Echinacea paradoxa, Echinacea purpurea and Echinacea tennesseensis. We grow all these species in our greenhouse, available as plants by calling us at (541) 846-6704.

Cultivation of Echinacea: Echinacea plants prefer full sun, well-drained, limey soil, and regular watering. All species will give some germination in 2 to 3 weeks if planted shallowly in well-drained potting soil in a warm (not too hot!) greenhouse and watered gently. A period of cold, moist conditioning (stratification) will improve germination rate on most species. Natural outdoor stratification is much more successful than artificial (refrigerated) stratification. Sow the seed directly in the garden or field in the fall or early spring. Barely cover the seed and tamp in. Keep weeded and thin to between 6 inches to 1 foot apart (for the taprooted species), and 2 feet apart for Echinacea purpurea. For more information on cultivating the different species of echinacea, see “Growing At-Risk Medicinal Herbs, Cultivation, Conservation and Ecology.”

Harvesting and processing the echinacea root: Although all parts of the plant have some medicinal value, it is the fresh root that is most practical and effective for home medicine making. Echinacea root is harvested during the dormant period, preferably in the autumn after 2 or 3 years of growth. The roots are dug up with a garden fork or shovel, shaken free of dirt, and washed with a pressure hose. Large crowns will need to be hacked apart with a hatchet or machete in order to allow access to dirt and stones lodged at the base of the crown. Echinacea roots are pretty stable after washing and may be cold-stored or shipped over a period of several days without molding. However, it makes sense to make the fresh root tincture as soon as possible after washing, which will minimize oxidation.

Practical uses: Echinacea root is an immune-stimulant that increases overall resistance to disease. The herb is also useful in treating the early phases of bacterial or viral infection. Echinacea speeds resolution of colds, flu and all kinds of upper respiratory infection. The herb makes an anti-inflammatory treatment for infected wounds and the bites of reptiles and insects. Echinacea is also a potent sialagogue (promotes salivation). One good test for the quality of herb or extract is how much it stimulates your spit. For more information on the preparation and use of echinacea root in home herbal medicine, see the book “Making Plant Medicine.”