Echinacea purpurea (coneflower)
Named for the prickly scales in its large conical seed head, the herb resembles the spines of an angry hedgehog. Echinos is Greek for hedgehog.
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▪ garden guides.com
▪ attracts bees, butterflys, birds
▪ Native American medicinal plant, used to treat upper respiratory tract infection. Echinacea contains several chemicals that play a role in its therapeutic effects--polysaccharides, glycoproteins, alkamides, volatile oils, and flavonoids. (Science is not in complete agreement on its effectiveness.)
▪ perennial which blooms mid-summer through early Fall, zones 3-9, full sun to part shade (I grew mine from seed, and it has very slowly self-seeded over time.)photos by me © 2009
