Echinacea arial part and root???

Inti · by Inti on August 11th 2008, 11:28 pm

I kow about the root as medicine. And I've got mixed reviews from teachers and such about using the arial parts. I'm growing purpurea, since angustifolia is harder to grow, and I've got flowers coming up.

so my question to you all....

Do you use arial parts and from which species. If you do... do you take it from the 1st year and/or the 2nd year. I know the root is the 2nd year.

minimom · by minimom on September 15th 2008, 11:29 am

I'm late with this, so you may have already found your answer, but here's what I found in my few sources:

From that Growing 101 Plants that Heal by Tammi Hartung:

"Harvest aerial parts, flowers, and seeds with snips from the second growing season on. Whole plants are harvested when in peak flower." She doesn't specify species.

You've probably already read this, but Leslie says in her book that: "the leaf can be harvested starting in the spring when first healthy leaves are growing. Flowers can be harvested when they start to open; however, when the flower cone is fully mounded, plant is at its medicinal peak."

Kathy Keville says in Herbs: An Illustrated Encyclopedia that it takes 3 to 4 years to develop roots large enough for a substantial harvest.

Hope your plants are happily growing!

Echinacea arial part and root???

Echinacea arial part and root???

Re: Echinacea arial part and root???