Summary: Echinacea species, a popular medicinal herb throughout the world, have been used by indigenous Americans for hundreds of years as an effective immunostimulant. Echinacea, commonly know as purple coneflower, is a north American native plant used for medicinal purposes by indigenous Americans. It is used externally for snake or insect bites and burns (Busing 1952; Hill et al., 1996) and internally for coughs, colds, sore throats, infections, and inflammations (Hobbs, 1989, 1994). Extensive laboratory and clinical research on E. angustifolia in the last few years in Germany has confirmed its immunostimulatory, antiviral, and antibacterial benefit to humans (Bauer and Wagner, 1991; Bodinet andBeuscher, 1991; Bodinet et al., 1993; Parnharm 1996).
The consumption of Echinacea has soared to record high in Europe and North America (Rawls,1996). Echinacea products are the bestselling medicinal health remedies in the United States, with a market share of 9.9% of the medicinal herbal industry (Rawls, 1996). Most commercial cultivation is in the western United States and Canada. The two most popular species are E. purpurea (80%) and E. angustifolia (20%); the latter has higher market value.
The effectiveness of Echinacea preparations appears to vary greatly depending on what type of echinacea is used and also what parts of the plant are used. At Elderberry Family Farms, we use both Echinacea purpurea and Echinacea angustifolia. We also use the leaves and flowers as well as the roots. It’s not always easy to find suppliers for all parts of both kinds of echinacea. So we decided to start growing and harvesting our own echinacea to be used in our products that contain echinacea.
Find more information on this study here: Echinacea: Cultivation and Medicinal Value in: HortTechnology Volume 8 Issue 2 (1998) (ashs.org)