Purple Coneflower

Purple coneflower is native to the entire American continent, from North to South America, and was also formerly imported from there from wild collections. Nowadays, purple coneflower is cultivated worldwide.

Medicinal use

It is medicinally used mainly the fresh or dried aerial parts of the plant (Echinaceae purpureae herba). In addition, the fresh sap obtained from the flowering aerial parts and, more rarely, the root (Echinaceae purpureae radix) are also used.

Purple coneflower: typical characteristics.

Purple coneflower is a perennial plant up to 180 cm tall with erect, branching stems. The basal leaves are broad and ovate-pointed, and the stem leaves are rough and coarsely serrated on both sides. The prominent elongated pink ray florets are on long stalks, and the pollen is yellow.

Purple coneflower as a medicine.

Purple coneflower herb is a rather heterogeneous mixture of the flowering dried or fresh parts of the plant. The mixture includes 10-25 cm long leaf fragments with clearly visible leaf veins, petioles, stem leaves including hairs and single old pink flower parts.

Smell and taste of purple coneflower.

Purple coneflower herb smells faintly aromatic. The taste of the herb is acidic and slightly anesthetic (local anesthetic) due to the alkamides it contains.