Pharmaceuticals
Echinaforce® Hot Drink, Concentrate
To boost the body’s own defences in cases of susceptibility to colds and in cases of colds accompanied by fever.
Purple Coneflower, Echinacea
Echinacea purpurea
Echinacea purpurea, the purple coneflower, is native to eastern and central North America. This striking perennial, with its purple flowers, was already used by Native American tribes as an important medicinal plant. Today, Echinacea purpurea is best known for its role in supporting the immune system and treating colds and flu-like infections. Alfred Vogel played a key role in introducing purple coneflower to Switzerland and in using it to produce fresh plant preparations.
Profile
- Botanical name: Echinacea purpurea
- German name: Red Coneflower, Purple Coneflower
- Other names: Coneflower, Hedgehoghead, False Sunhat
- Plant family: Asteraceae
- Origin: Eastern and Central North America
- Location: Prairies, forest clearings, rocky hillsides, scree slopes, and open wooded areas
- Flowering season: Summer through Fall
- Part of the plant used: fresh flowering herb, roots, or the entire plant, depending on the preparation method
- Appearance: Purple to pink ray florets with a striking, spiky flower head
The purple coneflower is a perennial plant. It is characterized by its cone-shaped or rounded flower heads, whose bracts resemble small hedgehog quills. This is the origin of its botanical name, Echinacea, which is derived from the Greek word “echinos,” meaning sea urchin.
The flowers are surrounded by a ring of ray florets, which often curve slightly downward. The colors range from light pink to bright pink to dark purple. The plant can grow in clumps and anchor itself firmly in the soil with its rhizome-like rootstock. Under suitable conditions, it sprouts anew year after year.
Related Health Topics
- Cough & Cold
- Immune System