Echinacea is a North American wildflower with a prickly, domed seed head referenced in the plant’s common name: coneflower. Native tribes used echinacea for a wide variety of medicinal purposes long before European settlers arrived.

One of the most recognizable and well-studied herbs in modern herbal medicine, echinacea is widely used to shorten the severity and duration of the common cold. Traditionally, echinacea has also been used to strengthen the immune system, resist infection, and heal wounds.

All parts of the plant are used therapeutically. The two most common species of echinacea, Echinacea angustifolia and E. purpurea, are functionally similar, although E. angustifolia has larger tap roots and is wild harvested. Echinacea root powder is often encapsulated as a dietary supplement or added to herbal shots or smoothies. The taste is initially sweet, then bitter, and can cause temporary tongue numbness or tingling.