Echinacea purpurea, known as purple coneflower, was traditionally used by Plains tribes to fortify immunity and shorten the duration of respiratory infections and wounds. Its distinctive spiky orange-red central cone and drooping magenta petals became the signature of North American herbal medicine when settlers adopted the plant from Indigenous practice.
root, leaf, flower
tea, tincture, capsule, decoction
300–500 mg extract daily; 1–2 tsp dried root as tea 2–3x daily
Generally safe; rare allergic reactions in Asteraceae-sensitive individuals.
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