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September 24, 2025

Happy Herbal Wednesday, Reader!

Isn't it great? The Fall equinox just arrived on the 22nd, and it's my favorite time of year. The weather here in N. Idaho is amazing right now. Finally the smoke from wildfires has cleared, and we can once again see our beautiful mountains!

The air is crisp. Apples and plums are falling from the orchard and the wild trees, making the deer SO happy! We invested in a 55 gallon food grade drum and are in the process of fermenting our own apple cider vinegar again, only this time in large quantity! It's a wonderful time of year!

I hope your fall is just as beautiful and abundant. And now it's time to share a bit of interesting information about a pretty well-known herb that's a great friend to have in your home all the time.

What comes to mind when you hear Purple Coneflower?

Most folks think “Echinacea—good for colds.”

True—but that tiny box barely fits this beautiful plant. Echinacea has a long, fascinating history in North American herbalism, and its gifts reach well beyond the sniffles. Let’s take a little walk through what it is, how it’s used, and practical ways to keep it in your home apothecary.

Which echinacea are we talking about?

Garden centers often label it “Eastern Purple Coneflower,” and you’ll see several species used in herbalism. The most commonly available are:

• Echinacea angustifolia
• Echinacea pallida
• Echinacea purpurea

There are actually nine native North American species, and herbal suppliers typically carry one or more of the three above. You’ll find preparations made from roots, aerial parts, or both—always check your label so you know what you’re working with.

The variety that's known as the "most medicinal" is E. angustifolia. And it's also been fairly decimated in the wild. So most herbalists tend to use E. purpurea, which in my opinion is a perfect substitute. I use them both, and they're both effective.

What modern herbalists tend to agree on

Contemporary herbal practice generally describes echinacea as:

• Immunomodulatory (supports healthy immune function)
• Lymphatic (encourages healthy lymph movement)
• Anti-inflammatory
• Vulnerary (supportive to skin and mucous membranes)

You’ll sometimes hear people call it “antibiotic” or “antiviral.” That’s oversimplified. A more accurate way to think about echinacea is that it helps your own defenses do their job—so any benefits with infections are largely via immune support, not because the plant acts like a pharmaceutical drug.

And this is a much better action. We want and need for our immune system to be working top-notch at all times, and especially during change of seasons.

A peek at traditional use

Our herbal ancestors—especially the Eclectic herbalists and the indigenous peoples—used echinacea widely. Historical texts describe it for situations we’d now connect with immune and tissue support, such as:

• Infectious fevers
• Venomous bites and stings (topical and internal, alongside appropriate medical care)
• Infected wounds and general wound care
• Gargles for sore throats, mouth ulcers, and tonsillitis
• Difficult, systemic infections (sepsis, gangrene)
• Burns and troubled skin

It was even used as an auxiliary remedy in serious infectious diseases of the day. That doesn’t mean echinacea “treats” these conditions on its own—it means practitioners valued it as supportive care.

The bigger point: echinacea’s wheelhouse isn’t only winter wellness; it’s broader immune terrain as well as tissue integrity and health.

How a home herbalist might use echinacea

Echinacea can be used alone or in blends for short-term immune support and first-aid care. A few ideas:

• Topical help: Teas or diluted tinctures can be dabbed on minor scrapes or irritated skin.
• Mouth and throat care: Think gargles or swishes to help natural healing of mouth sores and some infections.
• Alongside conventional care: If you’re dealing with something more serious—say a suspicious bite or an angry wound—see your doctor promptly. Although, echinacea really shines in this area. I read an article by a farmer a few years ago, and he treated his horse who had been bitten by a rattle snake on the nose. He gave this horse large amounts of echinacea tincture several times a day, and the horse recovered without medical attention, which is pretty amazing.
• For cold and flu and other illnesses: You know how you feel when you're just starting to get a bad cold? You feel weak, tired, rundown, and maybe your nose is tingling a little and your throat has the beginnings of soreness. This is a great time to put that echinacea to work! Take it 2-3 times a day in this case.

What to keep on hand

You can absolutely grow echinacea—it’s gorgeous, tough, and pollinator-friendly. It's easy to harvest and to make an exceptional tincture right at home with the whole plant. You can also purchase high quality echinacea, too. Here's what I like to have on hand:

• A quality tincture (extract): Handy for both internal and topical use. A few drops on a clean cotton swab can be easier than brewing tea when you need something now. (Heads-up: the taste is bold, and if it's a quality tincture should be "tingly". If this bothers you, it's perfectly fine to dilute it in some water or honey.
• Dried root: Wonderful for decoctions and blends. Roots prefer a longer simmer to pull out their goodness.
• Herbal tea options: Leaf/flower teas are gentler in flavor, while the roots shine when simmered.

Personally, I make sure I always have plenty of the tincture ready to go. You just never know when you'll need to start taking it.

How do you know it’s “working”?

Think about how long your typical cold and flus last. If you're anything like me, when you add echinacea into your protocol for that cold and flu, especially if you start early on, you'll note that both the intensity and the duration of the illness is greatly reduced!

It's important to keep up your good habits for at least two to three weeks after the illness has passed. This is the "Recovery" period, and your body still needs support, even though you're feeling better.

Is it ok to take echinacea as a preventive?

People used to commonly take a small amount several times a week or even daily to keep the immune system healthy. But then a study came out of Germany, and people thought it should be a short-term use herb only.

But recently, I was listening to herbalist, Dr. David Winston speak about echinacea and the benefits of prophylactic use (prevention), and he made the case that there was confusion in the translation of the German documents. The German study actually meant that it was fine to take small amounts daily, and that people did well this way.

Stay tuned! I'm planning to do more research on this and find out more for you. For now, if you do take it often, take small amounts---as in about a third of your usual amount. An average adult dose is 1/2 tsp, so you'd be looking at one dropper full, or about 1/6 of a tsp in this case several times a week.

When (IF) you start coming down with a bug, then start taking your full amount 3 times a day, and this will help your body's immune system get going.

Keep learning

Curious about other immune-supporting herbs and how they fit together? I’ve got a helpful overview waiting for you—perfect for building a well-rounded seasonal toolkit. It's my Cold and Flu Book, and you can get it as a bonus with my Herbal Medicine Making Course (which we're getting ready to refilm and add additional lessons to).

You can find it on a great sale when you pick up my FREE Herbal Remedy Guide and Cheat Sheet! The entire 15 video course with the book is 75% off that way!

**If you already have my Herbal Remedy Guide, you may also enjoy my FREE guide on How to Relax Using Herbs & Oils. This is good time of year to begin to put some relaxation techniques in place.

Please use the same email you're using to receive this note so you don't get doubles. Forward this along to an interested friend, too!

Before I sign off, it's not too late to gather some mullein leaf (Verbascum thapsis)! It's excellent for supporting your respiratory system and another wonderful herb to have handy. It's an older video, but still a good one!

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Hugs, Health, and Herbs,
​Heidi

P.S. I'll be going live again this Sunday at 2:00 p.m. Pacific time on my YouTube channel to talk about herbs! Bring your questions! It's fun and free to join right in.....

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This note is proudly sponsored by our School of Botanical Arts & Sciences! Come learn herbalism and aromatherapy with us at SOBAS!

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