I've been looking at the seed catalogs and plan to add medicinal plants in the flower garden this year. I found purple and white echinacea . Does one have an advantage over the other? Also what other plants should I think about. I live at 6500', mean average temp 47 degrees f., average rainfall 10 inches. 300 sun days a year. Mints do well here, I've raised Golden seal, lemon sage, Camomile with lots of hard work. Any suggestions would be appreciated.

-- nine (nine_fingers@hotmail.com), March 12, 1999

Answers

Lots of information available on the GardenWeb Forum:

http://www.gardenweb.com/forums/

-- Brooks (brooksbie@hotmail.com), March 12, 1999.

nine,

While taking an advanced course on garden perennials last Spring, I was suprized to learn from the Doctored professor that the Coneflowers you might be referring to are not the medicinal ones. Echinacea Purpurea 'Magnus', with rose-purple petals, and Echinacea Purpurea 'Alba', with white petals, are the ones we are most familiar with. However, they do not have the medicinal benefits which we associate with "Echinacea". I am afraid that to find the variety of echinacea which does is going to take some research, or some imput from someone who knows the correct botanical name for the medicinal type echinacea.

-- Jim (jamesfw@earthlink.net), March 12, 1999.

Damn, I guess I'll have to dig a little on this one. Thanks for the inputs so far.

-- nine (nine_fingers@hotmail.com), March 12, 1999.

stick with either echinacea angustifolia or echinacea purpurea. the angustifolia is more difficult to germinate and grow but is probably the best medicinallly speaking. the purpurea is easier and is o.k. medicinally speaking- most tests were actually performed on this(purpurea) species. stay away from the other types- many have been bred for looks only- no medicinal effect. for a good seed source- Johnny's seeds- 207-437-4395(that's their commercial #- they can connect you to home gardner) on the web it's: johnnyseeds.com. I've had goood luck with their seeds for years.

-- anita (hillsidefarm@drbs.com), March 12, 1999.

I took Echinacea for medicinal purposes this winter. It has no value. I've had more illness this winter than ever. Those herbs aren't all they are cracked up to be.

I started taking it last fall....and then got sick. My doctor said there are viruses that the Center for Disease Control has never seen before. One such virus landed in our small town. There is no herb on earth that will fight some of this jungle rot!!!

-- wasteOFtime (sickerThanHell@barfed.com), March 12, 1999.

Echinacea Angustifolia Root also called Hedgehog coneflower,Purple coneflower,Sampson root. The part used is the root.Medicinal properties are:alterative,antiseptic,tonic- for just a few. I've used it and so has my family and it did work for us.It has a realy bad taste. I have 3 books on herbs,weeds and flowers and I love them.The reason for so many is that 1 book has alot of info but no photos and the 2nd has realy nice color photos the 3rd has more info more recipes together they make the best reference library around. -Back to Eden by Jethro Kloss -Herbs put out by Reader's Digest -Herb and Spice Handbook put out by Frontier Cooperative Herbs You might want to look into other ways of healing like Reiki that is hands on healing and Aromatherapy try to find a class or books they work good together. darlene

-- Darlene (boomer@tdstelme.net), March 12, 1999.

wasteoftime - herbs aren't antibiotic pills.

Commercial preparations vary in quality. I notice Echinacea about 20 minutes after taking a jell cap with water. It pulls back the symptoms a bit, and it raises the spirit.

ninefingers - could you email private and talk about raising Golden seal?

-- Mitchell Barnes (spanda@inreach.com), March 12, 1999.

Regarding the use of herbs as "a waste of time". In the March issue of Intensive Care (a nrsing journal--sorry, it's not on line), a warning to transplant nurses to monitor post transplant patients for over the counter remedies. Seems that the combination of echinacea and zinc boosted the immune system enough to defeat most of the immunosuppresive drugs used to prevent rejection of the transplanted organ. Of course, it can be defeated by increasing the drugs but this usually has an adverse effect on the patient. (I saw a short squib on this in the last issue of AARP mag as well). I know that anyone taking echinacea will benefit from taking it on a schedule that allows for the system to vary--take for three weeks off for one, etc. The zinc dosage seems to be standard 50 mg per day.

-- Lobo (Hiding@woods.com), March 12, 1999.

Thank you Everyone for the information. I think this was the reason this site was put online.

-- nine (nine_fingers@hotmail.com), March 13, 1999.

I have used echinacea many times for colds and such with great results. Echinacea is not an end all cure all however it does boost your own immune system so that your body can put up a better fight. I purchase my echinacea at Wal-Mart, the cost is minimal and I plan to stock up. I wonder if anyone can tell us how long you can effectively store it? Tman

-- Tman (Tman@IBAgeek.com), March 13, 1999.

I hear that Echinacea, in double-blind and controlled studies, has absolutely NO effect the likelihood of either catching a cold or on the duration of illness.

Any benefit from it is placebo effect...Or perhaps E might be supplementing some nutrients to people who don't eat well and thus have weakened immune systems from poor nutrition, in general.

If I were you, I'd place a lot more faith in a flu vaccination or in some of these up-and-coming anti-rhinovirals that will soon be on the market.

-- coprolith (coprolith@rocketship.com), March 13, 1999.

Echinacea ought not to be taken for long periods of time. Over a short period of time, it boosts the immune system; but over long periods of time, it has a deleterious effect. I will try to find the study I read this info from, but I know that taking ech and zinc with vitamin c at the start of a cold has reduced the time from 1 week to three days and reduced severity as well, at least for me.

-- Tricia the Canuck (jayles@telusplanet.net), March 14, 1999.

http://www.gardenguides.com

click perennials,click on coneflowers.

-- Darlene (boomer@tdstelme.net), March 14, 1999.