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The herbaceous perennial plant echinacea, also referred to as purple coneflower, has four species and six variants that are all native to North America. This well-liked plant has been a staple in perennial gardens for more than 200 years. Indigenous people have historically utilized it as a medicinal herb in North America. In addition to offering several health advantages, it is also used as wild edible food. The name echinacea, which refers to the spiny center cone, is derived from the Greek word “echinos,” which means hedgehog.
Distinguishing Features
With its daisy-like purple/pink flowers and spiky seed cones, this heat- and drought-resistant shrub is highly distinctive. Touching the leaves feels scratchy.
Flowers
The flowers range in color from deep purple to pink, and the florets form a towering seed cone. Sharp spines cover this cone. Echinacea blooms around the middle of the summer and lasts for approximately a month before going into short-term hibernation. Early in the autumn, some plants could bloom once again.
How do echinacea’s leaves look?
Echinacea plants belong to the same botanical family as sunflowers and daisies. The Asteraceae, often known as Compositae, is the name of this family.
Greek word echinos, which means hedgehog, is where the botanical name Echinacea derives from. You may understand why the plant was given its name by examining the spiky tiny cone at the middle of the petals.
Except for the vibrant blooms, the entire plant is shockingly stiff. Additionally, the leaves and stems frequently have stiff, tiny hairs covering them.
Next time you pass a coneflower plant, touch a leaf if you’ve never felt one before. Like the stems and the center of the blooms, they are solid and rough.
Perhaps for this reason, coneflowers are known to the Lakota as ica’hpehu, which is Lakota for “something used to knock anything down.”
The flowers, which are referred to as capitulas, are actually made up of a group of distinct blossoms known as ray and disc florets, just like those of other Asteraceae family members. From a botanical perspective, each of those petals you see is a separate flower.
The vibrant petals that cover the outside of the crown are called ray florets. The plant’s reputation as looking like a hedgehog is due to the stiff inner disc florets that protrude from the cone.
Although they don’t appear to be typical flowers, if you look closely, you can see an elongated stigma at the apex of the bloom that is covered in tiny pollen grains.
You may notice that the disc florets resemble petals if you dissect the capitula and remove a few of them.
The disc florets mature in whorls sequentially, beginning at the outside, after the ray florets, which mature first.
One whorl unwinds at the beginning of each day. These flowers develop into seeds in the autumn.
It’s the same concept as picturing a sunflower, with its center of seeds and halo of yellow ray florets.
The ray florets, by the way, exist solely to entice pollinators with their vibrant beauty. They cannot be pollinated, they cannot develop seed, and they can not carry pollen.
Coneflowers weren’t revered for their perfume until recently. The plant is known as ashosikwimia’kuk in Potawatomi. That means, approximately, “smells like muskrat fragrance.” This offensive smell seems to be more prevalent in wild species than in domesticated ones.
When I came close to a few of the E. purpurea varieties in my garden, I noticed that they had a very faint sweet aroma.
Today, there are a few varieties with a more alluring aroma. For instance, “Fragrant Angel” and “Tangerine Dream” have a powerful, pleasant scent.
With the exception of E. purpurea and E. laevigata, all echinacea species have lengthy taproots.
This indicates that these two species transplant well than others and benefit from a little bit more water. Taproot-producing species have long, thick roots that can expand to a diameter of an inch and a depth of eight feet.
Although there are nine recognized species, E. purpurea is by far the most prevalent and the one from which the majority of the hybrids and cultivars you can buy at garden centers are derived.
Coneflowers are able to cross-pollinate easily, therefore there are some natural variants that don’t quite fit the mold of one species.
The narrow-leaf coneflower (E. angustifolia), one of the most significant species for medicinal usage among native populations, is among the other species and has the broadest natural distribution. It resembles the ordinary purple coneflower in appearance.
The federal government presently lists the smooth coneflower (E. laevigata) as endangered. This one has smooth rather than hairy stems and exceedingly small ray florets that range in color from pale purple to pink.
Conservation efforts have assisted in saving the endangered Tennessee coneflower (E. tennesseensis) from extinction. Its original range, which is restricted to a region within a 14-mile radius in Nashville, Tennessee, may now be found everywhere in that region.
It stands out because the ray florets are upright rather than drooping, unlike most other species, despite having a hue similar to purple coneflower.
The thin leaves of the narrow-leaved purple (E. serotina), which is endemic to Louisiana and Arkansas, have extremely stiff hairs. Pale pink ray florets that can grow up to three inches long and be incredibly slender are present on the pale purple (E. pallida).
The pink or purple ray florets of sanguine purple (E. sanguinea) droop. Botanists used genetic testing to distinguish the wavyleaf purple (E. simulata), which shares a similar appearance with the species with pale purple leaves.
Coneflowers in the species Yellow (E. paradoxa) and Topeka Purple (E. atrorubens) have ray florets that are deep purple and fade to pale pink, respectively.
All species, with the exception of E. purpurea and E. angustifolia, are endangered or vulnerable in their natural habitats and may even be extinct in some regions of their previous range.
Because of this, many experts advise against gathering wild coneflowers unless you are confident of the species you are taking. It can be difficult to tell because all of these species have a similar appearance.
Native Americans employed echinacea for a variety of reasons, and it has long been regarded for its medical properties. Most tribes still use these items today.
For instance, the Cheyenne tribes utilize the leaves and roots topically to treat pain, and the Blackfoot tribes chew the roots to relieve toothaches, according to the book “Native American Medicinal Plants: An Ethnobotanical Dictionary by Daniel E. Moerman.
The Lakota chew the roots of echinacea to soothe an upset stomach and apply it as a poultice to alleviate edema.
People in Omaha call the mashed root inshtoghate-hi, which translates to “eyewash,” because they use it as a treatment for burns and eye issues.
Similar to how it was previously used by the Teton, Sioux, Winnebago, Montana, and Ponca peoples, this plant is also used by them.
The Cheyenne and Dakota tribes also employ the pale purple coneflower for a variety of medical treatments, including treating boils and headaches, easing arthritis pain, preventing thirst, easing sore throats, easing cold symptoms, and curing snake bites.
Echinacea is smoked by Dakotans to treat headaches and as a toxic countermeasure.
By the way, you can get a copy of Moerman’s thorough book on Amazon if you’re interested in learning more about how indigenous peoples used coneflowers and other medicinal plants.
How can the leaves of Rudbeckia and Echinacea be distinguished from one another?
The flower’s color and look may be the most obvious distinction between the two species. While rudbeckia is a vivid yellow or orange with a yellow or black center, echinacea is often pink and black or purple and black in hue. The echinacea flower is also slightly bigger, and depending on how heavy the flower heads are, it may need to be supported. Echinacea petals often bend down and outward from the center of the flower, although rudbeckia petals also extend outward. On long, emerald stems with robust roots and alternately arranged green leaves, both flowers develop.
What does growing Echinacea look like?
Echinaceas are clump-forming perennials that can reach mature sizes of up to four feet tall and 12-36 inches wide. The variety affects the size. Large blooms with cone-shaped centers are carried on long, straight stalks by plants with an upright habit.
Staking: Because of their hardiness, these plants rarely need staking. Plants in partial shade can occasionally get tall and leggy. Plants can be staked by using a single stake and delicate thread to tie individual stalks to the stake.
Watering: Echinacea requires little water, but you’ll need to water young plants to encourage the development of new roots. Following planting, this is typically followed by a cycle of daily or every other day watering, then a few times per week, once per week, every other week, and finally only when there is an extreme drought in your area. You shouldn’t need to water Echinacea at all after the second year of planting unless it hasn’t rained for eight weeks or longer. They can withstand droughts so well.
Fertilizing: Since most perennials want to live simply, they don’t require regular doses of fertilizer. Unless your garden has special nutrient deficiencies, mulching Echinacea plants with compost in the spring should be sufficient. Obtain a soil test if your plants are producing a lot of leaves but no blossoms or if the leaves are an odd color (purple or yellow) to identify the nutrients that the plants are deficient in and treat accordingly.
What distinguishes an echinacea from a coneflower?
One of the three distinct genera referred to as coneflowers is echinacea. Echinacea angustifolia and Echinacea purpurea are two well-known members of the Echinacea genus. Purple coneflowers, or (more ambiguously) plain coneflowers, is the common name for members of the Echinacea species. The only coneflower genus that most people are familiar with by name is the Echinacea one because of its reputation as a medicinal plant.
How are coneflower leaves different?
Coneflowers feature leaves that are similarly rough in texture to their stems, which are also somewhat hairy. Tall, stiff stems are covered in an alternate pattern of leaves that range in color from a dark green to an olive green. The leaves of the coneflower range in size from 1 to 3 inches broad and 3 inches long, getting smaller and narrower toward the top of the stalk.
According to North Carolina State Extension, coneflower leaves can be cuneate, elliptical, lanceolate, or ovate in form. Lanceolate leaves are formed like lances that narrow and taper to a point, whereas cuneate leaves are wedge-shaped with a narrow, pointed end at the stem.
Even though echinacea leaves in the spring are still developing and not entirely developed, their rough, hairy appearance should already make them easy to recognize as belonging to an echinacea plant.
Which area of the echinacea plant is therapeutic?
There are 11 plants in the Echinacea genus, the majority of which are regarded as coneflowers. These include the narrow-leaf coneflower, Echinacea angustifolia, and the sanguine purple coneflower, Echinacea sanguinea, which served as the foundation for early medicinal studies on the genus (TWC Staff, 2013, Brinker, 2013). Asteraceae is the family of plants that includes Echinacea purpurea.
Geographic Distribution and Habitat
Although E. purpurea is currently present in at least 27 states and two Canadian provinces, it originated originally from the northeast of Texas. In the eastern to central United States, E. purpurea is widespread. E. purpurea prefers sandy or loamy soil that is well drained.
Description
A perennial, E. purpurea with drooping rays that range in color from lavender to pink and a brownish central disk that contains numerous spiny seeds. The Greek word echinos, which means hedgehog in allusion to the bristly seed tops, served as the inspiration for the genus name Echinacea. Flowers can be found on a single stem, and the plant has smooth stems that are 2 to 5 feet tall. From April until September, the flowers are in bloom. The lancolate, ovate, green leaves have a rough texture and serrated or dentate margins.
Portion of the Plant Used
Due to the numerous conventional and contemporary medical applications of Echinacea purpurea, numerous plant components are utilized to variable degrees. All parts of the flower—flowers, leaves, stems, and roots—are employed in medical procedures.
Traditional Uses
Numerous ailments have been treated using E. purpurea. The primary focus of this plant’s traditional usage has been its ability to reduce inflammation, which can occur anywhere or in any situation, including on the skin or as a result of an immunological response. Herbal tea made from the blossoms is supposed to strengthen the immune system. The herb has traditionally been used to treat colds, infections, wounds, ulcers, and inflammatory skin conditions (Van Wyk et.al., 2004). There may be further unusual uses for the plant, depending on where it is in the world. Echinacea purpurea is utilized as an anti-venom in India, while it is also used to treat inflammation in Italy (Ross, 1999).
Research
Echinacea angustifolia, rather than Echinacea purpurea, was used in the genus’ early medicinal use. Even in 1923, when at least ten out of 700 doctors mentioned using Echinacea to treat influenza, doctors continued to advocate its usage (Brinker, 2013). Taking significant doses of E. angustifolia (130–1750 mg), often peaking after just one day, caused individuals to have an increase in leukocyte count, according to a 1934 study at the Eclectic Medical College (Brinker, 2013). German researchers contributed to part of the fall in the use of E. angustifolia in medicine by demonstrating that the extract only mildly inhibited gram-positive bacteria like Streptococcal and Staphylococcus aureus (Brinker, 2013).
While E. angustifolia was the subject of the majority of early investigations on the survivability of Echinaeca species, Dr. John King’s Eclectic American Dispensary, published in 1853, highlighted E. purpurea’s potential medical applications (Brinker, 2013). Despite the roots not being allowed at the time, a German Commission authorized the use of E. purpurea liquid in 1989 as a “supportive treatment for persistent respiratory and urinary infections as well as wound healing” (Brinker, 2013).
Recent investigations have demonstrated the immunostimulatory properties of this plant (Crellin, 1990). In order to determine whether utilizing Echinacea for the common cold and associated events was effective, a significant meta-analysis of previous research was conducted in 2007. (Brinker, 2013). After this meta-analysis, significant decreases in the frequency and duration of sickness were observed (Brinker, 2013). An investigation into E. purpurea’s impact on the common cold was conducted in 2012. In this study, individuals who took Echinacea extract experienced a substantial reduction in recurrent infections compared to those who took ibuprofen (Jamal et.al, 2012; Brinker, 2013).
Side Effects, Interactions, and Contraindications
Researchers hypothesize that there may be dangers associated with using the Echinacea herb in conjunction with a number of systemic illnesses, such as AIDS, leukemia, collagenosis, multiple sclerosis, tuberculosis, and some autoimmune diseases (Brinker, 2013). This theory is based in part on the impact E. purpurea has on the enzyme cytochrome P450 3A4, which influences how much medication, particularly macrolide antibiotics like clarithromycin and erythromycin, is absorbed (Brinker, 2013).