seeds of Echinacea purpurea, Eastern Purple Coneflower

Echinacea purpurea, also known as the Eastern purple coneflower, is a plant species of the family Asteraceae. Synonyms include Brauneria purpuria, Echinacea intermedia, and Echinacea speciosa. Other names for the plant include the purple coneflower and hedgehog coneflower. Echinacea purpurea is indigenous to the Eastern region of Northern America. This region comprises the Midwestern, Eastern and South-eastern regions of the United States as well as Ontario in Canada. Echinacea purpurea is capable of growing to a height of 120 cm and expanding to a width of 25 cm. The plant’s flowers comprise purple florets that have both male and female organs. The dark green leaves, on the other hand, are either broad-lanceolate or oval. The plant mostly grows in prairies, cultivated beds, barrens, and dry open woods. American Indians have a long history of using extracts from the plant for medicinal purposes. The extracts supposedly have alterative, digestive, antiseptic, depurative and aphrodisiac qualities that help to both heal and boost vitality. Such extracts help to treat sores, insect bites, coughs, snakebites, burns, toothaches, stomach cramps, and throat infections. Echinacea purpurea is the subject of pharmacological investigations to ascertain whether it contains any substances of medicinal value. A prevailing belief that the plant could stimulate the immune system was the catalyst behind the interest in the plant. Echinacea purpurea has bright, beautiful blooms that make it a remarkable ornamental plant. The additional fact that the flowers attract butterflies and bees only helps to intensify the ornamentation. Echinacea purpurea is a hardy plant that can cope with humidity, heat, poor soils and drought. The plant grows well in dry to moderately moist soils that are loamy and rich in organic matter. While the plant’s hardiness protects it from harsh weather conditions, it can’t protect it from its predators which include slugs, gophers and rabbits. The plant takes 110 days to grow and reach maturity.