Echinacea Flowers
Estimated Inventory, bunch : 0
Description/Taste
Echinacea flowers grow on strong, fibrous, and hairy stems that can reach up to one meter in height and are comprised of circular, open blooms that range from 12 to 15 centimeters in diameter. The flowers typically grow in dense clusters and widely vary in appearance. Wild Echinacea flowers commonly bear a curved, central cone that contains hundreds of tiny disk florets, giving the surface a spiky appearance. The cones can be black, yellow, orange, dark red, to white, and in some hybrid varieties, the cones are covered in ruffled, small petals, known as powder puffs. The petals in wild varieties are elongated and oval, growing side by side with little space in between, and generally point towards the ground. The petals are also soft, pliable, and delicate, traditionally found in purple-pink, white, or yellow hues. Hybrid varieties have been introduced over time to include orange, green, purple, red-orange, and peach-colored shades. The petals can be arranged in single or double rows in drooping or upright formations. In addition to the flowers, the plants bear dark green, oval to lanceolate-shaped leaves that average 10 to 20 centimeters in length, and the leaves grow smaller as they travel up the stem. Echinacea plants have a faint aroma and a pungent floral and herbal flavor with a subtle grassy bitterness.
Seasons/Availability
Echinacea flowers bloom in the late spring through fall.
Current Facts
Echinacea flowers, botanically a part of the Echinacea genus, are a wild and cultivated species belonging to the Asteraceae family. The herbaceous perennials are native to North America and have been used by Native Americans since ancient times in medicinal remedies. The name Echinacea is derived from the Greek word “echinos,” translating to mean “hedgehog,” and the Latin word “purpurea,” meaning “purple-red.” The flowers earned their hedgehog moniker from their central, spiny cone. There are nine different species of Echinacea flowers found in the wild, with Echinacea purpurea being the most common, and other significant species include Echinacea angustifolia, Echinacea pallida, Echinacea paradoxa, and Echinacea tennesseensis. Over time, scientists have also created over fifty Echinacea hybrids, widely diversifying the flower’s appearance, color, and shape to provide variety for home garden cultivation. Echinacea flowers are sometimes known as Purple Coneflowers, Coneflowers, Black Sampson, and Prairie Flowers, and the flowers have become a popular addition to home gardens. The flowers are easy-to-grow, hardy, resistant to heat and drought, have a long-flowering season, and attract beneficial pollinators, including bees, butterflies, and birds. Echinacea flowers are also utilized outside of the garden in natural medicines, teas, as a culinary garnish, and as an ornamental decoration. Cut Echinacea flowers will keep 1 to 2 weeks when placed in a vase of water.
Nutritional Value
Echinacea plants are a source of antioxidants that help to reduce inflammation and protect the cells against free radical damage and oxidative stress. The plants also provide nutrients to strengthen the immune system, such as vitamin C, and have a natural laxative effect to stimulate and calm the digestive tract. Echinacea has been studied for centuries as a preventative to colds and flu. While the data is inconclusive, many herbalists still incorporate the roots and flowers into teas to prevent sickness and mix the plant into topicals to soothe burns and skin irritations.
Applications
Echinacea flowers are traditionally dried as an herbal supplement. The petals, roots, and leaves are edible and are commonly dried and steeped into teas, or they are infused into juices, tinctures, and salves. The plant roots are believed to have the highest concentration of active ingredients and are customarily ground into a powder for tea. Despite their nutritional value, Echinacea flowers and roots have a bitter, floral flavor that some consumers may find unpleasant. The teas can be mixed with natural sweeteners to create a more palatable taste. In addition to drying, Echinacea flower petals can be utilized fresh as a colorful garnish. The petals can be scattered across cakes and other desserts, used as a visual enhancement to charcuterie boards or sprinkled over salads. Echinacea flowers can also be floated over soups, placed on smoothie bowls, or lightly stirred into grain bowls as a natural source of color. Beyond using the petals by themselves, they can be steeped in vinegar or simple syrup and incorporated into sweet and savory preparations. It is important to note that the central cones are coarse and spiny with an unpleasant texture. They should be removed from the petals and discarded before using the petals in culinary dishes. Echinacea flowers pair well with fruits such as citrus, elderberry, raspberry, and strawberries, peppermint, lemongrass, and sweeteners such as stevia, honey, and agave. The petals should be used immediately for the best quality and flavor and will only keep for a couple of days when stored in a container in the refrigerator. Dried petals and roots will keep up to one year in a sealed container away from direct sunlight.
Ethnic/Cultural Info
Echinacea plants are famous for their use among Native American tribes as natural medicine. Great Plains tribes such as Omaha, Cheyenne, Sioux, Comanche, Pawnee, and Kiowa have been incorporating the leaves, roots, and petals in their remedies for hundreds of years. The roots were the most used portion of the plant and were traditionally chewed, scraped, mashed, or ground into a powder. The freshly mashed roots were topically applied to wounds, skin infections, and bites, and they were also chewed to ease toothaches, gum inflammation, and sore throats. In addition to the roots, the flowers and leaves were often combined into medicines as an overall preventive to guard against seasonal sickness. Many Native American medicinal practices using Echinacea have been adopted into modern-day natural medicines, and herbalists incorporate dried roots, flowers, and leaves into pills, beverages, tinctures, and topical treatments.
Geography/History
Echinacea is a wildflower native to the Eastern and Central United States. The flowers were once found growing wild in prairies, along roadsides, in woodlands, and meadows in the summer and fall. Echinacea plants have been used by Native Americans in natural medicines for over four hundred years, and the flowers were eventually spread into Canada and the Southern United States. Early European settlers observed the Native American tribes using the flowers in medicinal remedies and adopted the roots into immunity tonics. These settlers also sent writings and research about the species to scientists in England around 1699 to record the new plants discovered in America. In the 1870s, herbalist H.C.F. Meyer studied Echinacea plants and began widely introducing the flowers and roots to doctors in Europe. Legend has it that he once demonstrated the plant’s ability to heal wounds by letting a rattlesnake bite him. Meyer immediately applied a homemade Echinacea remedy and survived. Whether this tale was historical or made up, the flowers attracted the interest of European doctors and became the focus of several studies around 1895. Over time, Echinacea flowers were extensively cultivated in Europe and the United States, developing many new hybrid varieties for home gardens. Today Echinacea flowers are still found growing wild in North America, but the populations are dwindling due to over-harvesting at a rate faster than the flowers can regenerate. Experts believe approximately 200,000 pounds of roots and flowers are harvested from the wild each year. There are also many farms in North America and Europe that produce the flowers for commercial sale and for home gardens.
Recipe Ideas
Recipes that include Echinacea Flowers. One
is easiest, three is harder.| The Nerdy Farm Wife |
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Cold & Flu Tincture |
| The Paleo Mama |
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Homemade Echinacea Tea |
