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Tuesday, October 8, 2013

Purple Cone Flowers

Purple cone flowers, or Echinacea, are perennials native to North America.  They are wonderful plants for attracting butterflies and birds to your garden.  In late summer, it is fun to watch the golden finches perch on top of the cone and pick the seeds out.

Purple cone flowers grow in dry areas and are drought tolerant.  They bloom in early summer and continue to early fall.  Their stems are usually stiff and hairy, and they usually have purple, daisy-like flowers, with petals that grow downward from a prickly cone in the center.  Some purple cone flowers can be other colors like white, yellow, and pink.

If you see a wild coneflower, do not dig it up!  It might be endangered.  There are only 7-9 species of purple coneflowers, and two of them are on the endangered list.

Many people believe that the Echinacea plant has medical benefits, but research is showing that there are no benefits in relation to sickness or with help in fighting colds.  The consumption of Echinacea may increase white blood cell counts, but that is most likely due to the body fighting off one of the chemicals in these plants.  The increase of white blood cells is short-lived.  The good news, is that if you're one of those people who pops an Echinacea pill when you get a cold, there are no health risks. And who knows,  if you believe it will help you,  you may experience a little placebo effect.

14 comments:

  1. I always thought those were daisies...

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  2. Actually, I take a natural Echinacea vitamin every single day, and I only get sick maybe once every 3-4 years.

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    1. My mom does the same thing. I wonder if you'd get sicker if you didn't take it.

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  3. they are a fave of mine too. Just a pretty happy flower that is low maintenance

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  4. I thought I would come over for a visit and I'm glad I did I love flowers and these are beautiful...

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  5. It's a pretty flower. That's interesting. I drink Echinacea tea. Years ago, it was supposed to be some miracle cure-all and immune system booster, but I never felt instantly cured. The tea tastes alright, though. I'm glad I wasn't missing out on some amazing remedy.

    Be well, Sherry.
    xoRobyn

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    1. Some people swear by the stuff. My mom is one of them. Me? Not so much.

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  6. Hi Sherry .. echinacea has taken a front row seat in recent years .. while I love the colour of the flowers ... we have them here too - but they maybe of the cultivated variety ..

    Cheers Hilary

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    1. I think Echinacea are really pretty. And they take care of themselves - very low maintenance.

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