Echinacia

Echinacia, or purple coneflower, is a member of the daisy family. I only recently planted some Echinacia when we realized we didn't have any of this popular flower in our landscape. Echinacia blooms throughout the summer and there are varieties in a multitude of colors. We have an orange coneflower in the front yard.

While we grow Echinacea for the blooms, the plant is probably best known for its medicinal uses. Echinacea tablets are widely available in grocery stores and drug stores. These pills are marketed for their immunity boosting powers. While studies on these claims have been inconclusivie at best, I have been taking Echinacea for quite a while and have not had a cold in several years. Of course, the Echinacea pills I take could have nothing to do with my lack of colds.