Echinacea or purple coneflower is a North American perennial that is indigenous to the central plains where it grows on road banks, prairies, fields and in dry, open woods. It is also called snake root because it grows from a thick black root that Indians used to treat snake bites.
- Herbalists consider Echinacea one of the best blood purifiers and an effective antibiotic.
- It activates the body's immune system increasing the chances of fighting off any disease.
- This popular herb has been used to help ward off the common cold and to relieve the symptoms of hay fever.
- The Plains Indians used various species of echinacea to treat poisonous insect and snake bites, toothaches, sore throat, wounds, as well as mumps, smallpox, and measles.
- Echinacea is considered an effective therapeutic agent in many infectious conditions including upper respiratory infections, the common cold and sinusitis.