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Echinacea purpurea
A popular perennial with smooth, 2-5 ft. stems and long-lasting, lavender flowers. Rough, scattered leaves that become small toward the top of the stem. Flowers occur singly atop the stems and have domed, purplish-brown, spiny centers and drooping, lavender rays. An attractive perennial with purple (rarely white), drooping rays surrounding a spiny, brownish central disk.
Spotted this wildflower in my pasture.
Spotted on Jul 5, 2013
Submitted on Jul 5, 2013
2 Comments
Thank you for the information Christane! I have a lot of this plant on my farm.
Traditionally used for infections and wounds, Echinacea has become a favorite herb of choice where immune support is required. Over 500 scientific studies have documented the chemistry, pharmacology, and clinical applications of Echinacea.
Echincaea has healing, anti-microbial, anti-inflammatory and nonspecific, immune-stimulant activity, primarily through the stimulation of fibroblasts (cells involved in tissue repair) and activation of phagocytosis (the process of bacterial scavenging by special white blood cells).