Black Eyed Susan Tincture

[Jacqueline HicksStudent]

I planted some Black Eyed Susan plants this year and they really took off. I harvested some of the flower tops today and decided to make a tincture. Most of the herbal books I own don’t even list this beautiful flower as one with any medicinal properties so I am hoping I made something useful. Does anyone have experience with B. E. Susan flower top tincture? According to the Doc it is pretty close to Purple Coneflower but I was just curious if anyone has had first hand experience with its properties. Also, I read the seeds are poisonous but I am hoping it is still OK to use the whole flower top including the center when it is still in bloom. If anyone can ease my mind and assure me I didn’t just start making a poison potion that would be great. Haha!

4 users thanked author for this post.

Roxanne Jegodtka, Janet_Doug Cannon, Jennifer Bartels, Gloria Victorino

[Dr. Patrick JonesHomestead Instructor]

If you’re picking fresh, vibrant flowers, the seeds aren’t mature enough to be an issue. If you’re picking dried out seed heads, you won’t be making medicine.

Black-Eyed Susan (Rudbeckia hirta)

Don't use herbs or combine herbs with medications or use them during lactation or pregnancy without talking with your healthcare provider.

5 users thanked author for this post.

Janet_Doug Cannon, Jacqueline Hicks, Sydney Alix, Dawn, Gloria Victorino

[DawnStudent]

Hi Doc, et al,

Is that the same for all flowers that go to seed? I wonder if the chamomile flowers that seem to have gone to seed during my drying are also not medicinal worthy, as well as, dandelion, etc. I also wonder if I let me Echinacea go to far in some instances. When in doubt throw it out? (I’m still learning how things look at peek flowering, pre-seeding, all stages.)

[Janet_Doug CannonStudent]

Thanks for clarification on this.

I recently cut fresh flowers and dried them for few days to use in tincture. Would these still be safe since they “were fresh” or would you suggest picking new fresh flowers for tincture?

They are still blooming here in Ottawa so wife would rather not pull up root yet.lol

Again, thank you for all the great work you and your team are doing here.

Cheers

[Jennifer BartelsStudent]

Hello,

I am happy to see the clarification on the Black Eyed Susan. I was trying to figure the seed thing out too, as I read the same reports about the seeds being poisonous. I was in the mountains last weekend and I saw the Rudbeckia lacinata in bloom. My husband asked if I could use that plant, I didn’t know. The clarification on another post answered that question. I was happy to learn it is a satisfactory substitution for Rudbeckia hirta, which is a substitution for Echinacea.

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