Echinacea: More than just a pretty...flower.

Every gardener recognizes echinacea as that purple daisy like flower better known as a purple coneflower. It's drought tolerant and pest resistant, it's colorful and easy to grow and care for (and it comes back year after year).

But it's more than just a pretty flower. It's a very powerful, and effective anti-viral, anti-bacterial, and immune-boosting, medicinal herb!

How do I use it? It can be used both internally and externally. Internally, drop droppersful of tincture under the tongue (or into juice for children). It strengthens the immune system, and ward off colds and flu. We use it more as a preventative. But it also works well for colds, flu, and sore throats, etc.
Externally we use it on cuts and wounds. Echinacea is antibacterial. After I clean out a wound with water, I squirt Echinacea tincture liberally right on the wound. I use it like my mom used “Bactine” when I was a kid. After that, I usually apply a salve or bandage as you usually would.

Let me tell you how easy it is to make your own tincture by harvesting fresh echinacea root from your very own garden.

Directions for making echinacea tincture:
In spring (before flowers bloom), or fall after flowers die off.
Dig up, and wash and chop roots.
Fill a quart jar 2/3 full of echinacea root.
Pour 80 proof alcohol (I use cheap vodka)over root, filling jar.
Cover jar tightly and label. Place in a dark place.
Steep herb for at least 4 weeks, shaking jar every day.
After 4 weeks, tincture can be strained if desired. The finished tincture will keep indefinitely.
Store tincture in a darkened area. Store in colored glass if possible.
Strain tincture through fine cheesecloth, if desired.
Do not use anything but glass to make your tinctures.