Echinacea parts

[Martha StanleyStudent]

1. According to HGH book, the Echinacea medicine is from the flowers and roots.

No leaves? I read elsewhere that the leaves are used.

2. I read elsewhere that E purpurea’s best use is the flower, E augustifolia the root.

Comments?

3. I read where you harvest the flower just as it flowers. Well….. does that mean you harvest them when the petals are just sticking up, when they are showing the pink, when the pink is starting to show as petals and are opening up, or when the petals are fully open? :boggle:

Thanks.

Martha

[IdahoHerbalist]

I harvest the flowers when the center of the flower is BRIGHTEST and the petals have just drooped. The look the best at that point. I do not have any specific information to make me want to do that though.

I do not know why purpurea and angustifolia would be any different. For Echinacea all I have ever heard and read was ROOT is best followed closely by the FLOWER and that the leaves do have some medicinal properties. We harvest the flowers because that causes the least amount of damage to the plant for the best medicinal result.

[Dr. Patrick JonesHomestead Instructor]

The leaves are medicinal as well but not as strong as root or flower.

Doc

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

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